Rivalry Between Clans: The Feline and The Canine
by The Feline
Summary: There's a constant battle between Konoha's two animal-like clans, the Inuzuka's and the Nekoshima's. After the massacre of the Nekoshima clan, it fell upon the Rookie Generation of Kiba and Miyu to either continue their rivalry or end it once and for all. It's up to the kids. Will their old ways bring chaos, or will they see passed everything in their history to try to start anew?
1. Good Morning, Sunshine

_The dream started as it always did. The main house of the Nekoshima clan in the compound. Its two-story height seemed to make the building stand with a certain pride from the honorable heads of the clan that had lived within its walls. Ever since the first Nekoshima built it. The house had been strong from years of war between the beast clans of the Leaf: Inuzuka and Nekoshima._

_I looked up, gazing over the shingles of the roofing and the traditional Japanese walls that reminded me of the Hyūga's main house. It looked just like it had before the widely known Nekoshima Massacre. I sat down on the dirt road that led towards the door. I waited for it to begin as I shut my eyes to avoid looking at the damage._

_The sound of glass breaking echoed shortly after I sat. A crowd of people roared angry curses and threats. Feet stamped against the ground in protest. I could hear the cackle of flames as its poisonous smoke filled my lungs. Felines growled and hissed at the proud home._

_A pair of feet stepped in front of me, "Child." _

_I opened my eyes to find a raven-haired woman in her early thirties with her eggplant-purple eyes watching me. She wore the typical Leaf shinobi uniform with two katanas strapped to her back. The headband that truly identifies her as a Leaf shinobi rested behind her black fringe. They split perfectly around the face to show the Leaf's symbol. A deep frown set in her full lips as she shook her head._

_The house was gone. The people and cats were gone. The entire area was filled with snow. The white blanket covered the flat ground as dark gray clouds lingered lazily in the sky above. Cold flakes fell from the gray puffs as they swept the air, riding a light wind._

_ "I will never understand why you must torture yourself," she told me as the snow fell around us. "You know that you must surpass the Inuzuka clan. You are a feline, far better from that clan of mongrels. You must become an even more powerful Nekoshima than your ancestors before you. You even have strong ties with the Leaf's Hyūga clan... Yet you fill your mind with the dark nightmares of that night. You allow yourself to become blind from the bloodshed."_

_"I know this, Ikari," I told her, sighing. "You come to me every night with the same ranting. It's in my head, and it's going to stay there. I'm still trying to figure out why you became part of me, woman."_

_"With each night, you whine more about what you can't do or what you don't know yet." She seemed a little sad with the next statement, "You understand that I'm only trying to make you become the best head of your clan that you can become."  
_

_"Why, though?" I felt a spike of annoyance and rage leak into my tone, "I've had so much trouble from the past because of you. Why did I have to become a head? Isn't my uncle good enough for the role?"_

_"You won't understand that until you realize what makes you so special," she shook her head again. Her body began to fade away as it always does when I started to get into the topic. "You need to learn from the past but not dwell in it."  
_

_"Wait!" I roared my anger at her as her body faded more quickly, "I'm tired of being special! It's always given me nothing but pain and suffering! It wasn't my choice, Ikari! It wasn't my choice!"_

_She was gone._

* * *

Sunlight leaked past the curtains, flooding the room with the morning. A familiar mewl brought my tired mind to consciousness. I sighed at the memory of the dream. It always ended the same way. As soon as I started getting into the topic of who she was to me, she'd disappear going on with how I don't understand. I'm always left with unanswered questions.

I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind for now.

With a groan, I rolled onto my stomach and folded my knees under my stomach. At that, I stretched my arms, raising my rump into the air. It was a cat-like stretch.

The mewl sounded again.

"Good morning to you, too, Chi," I yawned, sitting up to look at the white feline.

She stared up at me with bright forest-green eyes as she whined, "_I'm hungry. Feed me!_"

I glanced over to the clock on my nightstand, though, I already knew what time it was. Chi woke me up every day at the same time. The clock ticked with every minute as it passed, making my ears prick at the sound. I blinked sleep from my eyes before refocusing on it.

Five-thirty in the morning.

I quirked an irritated eyebrow at her as I dangled my legs over my bed for a moment. I heaved myself off the edge and headed over to my closet. I crouched below the hanging clothes to find a light gray animal carrier with a barred gate. I opened it up, pulling out the bag of food and a bottle of water before shutting it again.

The carrier was only meant for Chi's vet visits when she was a kitten, but she's gotten use to the doctor she was assigned. Hana was the only Inuzuka we were willing to tolerate because we shared our deep affections towards our partners. We settled on the silent agreement when Chi caught a bad virus and I hunted her down when the animal clinic was closed. Other than that, the carrier became a storage for her food and water so she couldn't tear into it while I wasn't looking.

I swear, she eats like Choji sometimes. One second the food is there, the next it's gone.

Her meowing got more persistent when she saw the food bag in my hand. The feline weaved herself through my legs as I walked. It became a habit of hers during our training when we weren't working on our combination attacks. I fell to my knees, pinning her down with a leg on each side. She meowed her complaint, struggling as I held her down effortlessly, as I filled her food and water bowls next to my desk.

I got to my feet, heading back towards the closet to put away her food, "You know, if you keep inhaling your food like that, you're going to get fat. You'll be waddling your happy butt around the house, and I won't be carrying you on missions."

"I... might be... waddling... but I'll be... fat and sassy," she told me between bites. "You do... the same thing... So shut up."

"I'm a growing girl," I smiled over to her after I shut the closet door.

She looked up at me with glaring green eyes and kitty kibble crumbs on her chin, "I'm a growing cat. What's your point?"

"You're a brat," I told her with my hands on my hips. "Spoiled."

"Your own fault."

As I was shaking my head, there was a knock on the door. I went over, cracking it just enough to see who it was. A tall man in his late twenties with messy brunette smiled sleepily at me. His bronze eyes were bright despite how early in the morning it was. He had a navy robe wrapped snugly around his lean body. A pair of red plaid sweatpants covered his leg followed by bright green frog slippers on his feet.

I stared at the slippers I had bought him for his recent birthday.

I heard the slight frown in his voice when he asked, "What?"

"You have an odd sense of fashion when it comes to sleeping wear, Uncle," I met his gaze with an amused smile.

"I'm not the one in -" I quirked an eyebrow as he gave me a once over, "-in whatever this is."

It was my turn to frown. I looked down at my sleeping attire. I had an old brown tee-shirt of my uncle's, one that had the clan symbol on it, and a pair of plain gray sweatpants. It was nothing showy, obviously, and it wasn't anything too baggy that I was swimming in it.

"What's wrong with my pajamas?"

He shook his head, "It's spring. Don't most girls start wearing shorts to bed or something?"

"Hinata doesn't!" I told him, "Besides, do you really want me walking out to get the mail in shorts and a camisole, Uncle? I'm sure the boys would _love_ that."

It was the quick movement of his shoulders twitching that I knew I had won my victory against him. I knew he wasn't serious in the end because he knew exactly why I wore long clothing. I enjoyed teasing him, though. It puts him on his guard that I was growing up. I lived in the world of shinobi now.

The man was very protective of his niece. He was the one that stepped up to become my guardian after the massacre. He didn't want any boys _tainting_ his favorite niece with dirty thought. I was his only niece, and I was twelve, turning thirteen. A genin.

With puffed out cheeks, he stepped out of my room, "You might want to get dressed before your teammates arrive, kiddo."

"Yeah, I-"

There was a noise that sounded like something was choking.

I turned around to see Chi coughing, "Well, don't eat so dang fast! How many times have I told you to slow down?!"

She spoke after her coughing fit died down, "_Well, I was hungry! When I'm hungry, I eat._"

Her tail was bristled as she stood protectively in front of her food. I guessed she thought I was going to take it away from her. I shook my head, turning back to the doorway to find that my uncle had disappeared down the hall. I could hear his laughter as he went downstairs.

I rolled my eyes at both of them before I headed back over to my closet. I pulled open the folding doors once again, skimming a finger over each hanger that clung to the bar. I picked out a white camisole, black shorts that went down to my mid-thigh, and a gray hoody that almost covered my shorts. I switched out my shirt with my camisole as I headed over to my long dresser with a vanity mirror. I didn't bother looking at my wicked bedhead as I dug through the top drawing. I pulled out my fishnet leggings, slipping out of my sweatpants, and donned the leggings before pulling on the shorts.

It was then that I decided to look at the mirror. I winced as I noticed the thin strands going in every which-way direction. I grabbed my hairbrush, quickly running it through the knots until I had it just as I wanted. I picked up my black eyeliner, outlining my blue eyes. I capped and put down the eye-bolder as I called it sometimes. My eyes flickered to their reflection. My lips smiled as I watched the crystallized blue turn into an icy light gray.

"_Are you done yet?_" Chi stretched, pawing at the carpet.

"Just be happy that you're not in a human female's body, Chi," I told her, folding my pajamas and putting them on my desk chair. "You don't have to prep yourself to impress the male side of the species."

She looked at me like I was an idiot, "_Grooming._"

I rolled my eyes as another knock hit my door. I put my hoody on the back of the chair before I went over, cracking it and peaking again. There were two boys this time. They were the same height, which was about two inches taller than my four-foot-eight-inch frame, but they were like parallel opposites.

The one on my right was the darker boy. He had short black hair that was similar to Sasuke's, but without the duck butt. The fringe was the same around his pale face, but the back was cut closer to the scalp. The boy brushed the fringe from his eyes, revealing his gray eyes. They were resembling a storm cloud, so he was _not_ in a good mood. He had a black pair of cargo shorts that went just below his knees. His hands were shoved into the front pocket of his dark blue pullover hoody. The boy also had a thing for silver piercings. He had a bar going through the cartilage of his right ear and a lip ring, but what really caught my attention was a thin chain hiding, and failing at it, in his hoody.

The other was smiling happily at me with his long red hair tied at the base of his neck in a ponytail and his fringe falling just above his eyes. The tail part curved around his neck, resting comfortably against his shoulder. His bright mossy eyes met my icy ones as they sparkled. His skin was lightly sun-kissed from training outside during the warm weather, and even during the bad. He wore a fishnet tank top under his open, sleeveless jacket that he had dyed orange, proudly showing off a golden necklace with a paw print as a pendant. The boy also wore cargo shorts, but his were a light gray. There was a three-inch thick bracelet on his left wrist, painted with gold and glossed to prevent color loss.

"You know, Chi," I looked down to the feline sitting at my feet with a smirk, "every time I open this door, there seems to be more males appearing at it."

She gave a light cat chuckle, barely shaking her shoulders.

The redhead pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned happily, "We've come here on important business, though. We figured that we would tell you together."

"Hm?"

The darker of the two shifted uncomfortably. The sound of rustling paper and clothing caught my sensitive ears, and they both knew I heard it, too.

"Tell me what?" I asked, pulling away to look at both of them. Neither answered for a moment. I turned look at the boys, light to dark, as I said my nicknames for them, "Yoshi? Sato?"

The darker one scowled at the nickname I called him, but he stated his reasoning, "Misaki-sensei went on a mission, so she's assigning us to different teams for the next couple of days."

"It's just going to be for a short while, though," Yoshimaru assured quickly.

I felt my own frown take place on my lips, "She just had to leave a _week_ before the Chūnin Exams, didn't she?"

"If you think that's bad," the darker one spoke up, "then you're going to love what she's done."

A small spike of fear hit my chest as I stared at him with wide eyes, "Satoshi... What are you talking about?"

The redhead started to fidget now, "Well-"

"Yoshimaru," Satoshi looked at him, "it might be better if we let her read the note."

The redhead nodded in silent agreement as he passed me to sit on my bed. Satoshi handed my a partially crumpled paper as he went over to sit on my desk chair. He moved my pajamas to the surface of the desk before he sat down. Chi went over to hop up on Yoshimaru's lap, purring loudly in the silence.

I looked it over.

_My precious students,  
I had to leave on an urgent mission for the Hokage. I deeply apologize for the sudden disappearance, but it was needed. I can't tell you what the mission is or how long I'll be gone. I've assigned you three to different teams so you can work on your training during my absence. I know that you three will probably hate me for where I've assigned you, but know that it's for your own good._

_Yoshimaru - Team Asuma_

_Satoshi - Team Guy_

_Miyu - Team Kurenai_

_Yoshimaru, you have to work on your strategic skills. Shikamaru and Asuma will best help you with those. Your brute strength will be put to the test against Choji's. Don't let Ino get into your head._

_Satoshi, you need to build your strength. Surely, Guy will help you with that. He's the top-notch instructor for putting one's physical endurance to the test. You'll be expected to join him at six in the morning sharp, or earlier. He has special consequences if your late. You'll have today to meet up with him later since I'll be expecting you and Yoshimaru to be taking to letter to Miyu, and making sure she doesn't kill anything._

_Miyu, I've assigned you to Kurenai's team not to torture you, but to help you. You need to work on your genjutsu. You have the intellectuality for it, but you need to work on your focus. Also, I understand that the Inuzuka clan is your enemy, but you need to work on some kind of agreement with him. You two are going to become a team during my absence. At least be happy that you'll have Hinata and Shino with you. I already know that I'm probably on your hit list._

_Good luck with your training. I'll be back before you know it!_  
_Love,_  
_Misaki-sensei_

"Why that_ inconsiderate_-!" I bit my lip to stop myself from saying a few_ inappropriate_ things about my teacher. I crumpled the note into a ball and tossed it into the wastebasket on the opposite side of my nightstand from my bed from the wall. "That _mutt_ needs to learn to put the past behind him. He's the one going around and starting the trouble with me," I hissed.

Satoshi chuckled, obviously forgotten in my rampage, "Misaki-sensei sure has a way with words, huh?"

"The twisted woman," Yoshimaru muttered, petting the curled up ball of white fluff on his lap.

I sighed, "I just hope that I'm not going to end up smelling like dog every day."

"Pretend like he's not even there." He glanced at the clock on my nightstand and started to get up, "Well, I have to go find the _Youthful Brigade_, so I don't get an earful from Guy-sensei and have to do twenty laps around the village." He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," Yoshimaru nodded as he placed Chi on my pillow, "and I've gotta' head over to Asuma's meeting spot."

With a sigh, I hugged each of my teammates, telling them that I'd see them soon. The two smiled, giving me some small words of encouragement. They left after our farewells.

I heard the front door shut, so I went to my window to find Satoshi looking up at me with a smile that seemed to always make girls melt. Yoshimaru was saluting me like he was a soldier. I waved at them as I spoke to Chi, "I swear that Misaki-sensei wants me to kill her sometimes." I let my smile fall into a frown when my teammate turned the corner of the Nekoshima compund's gates.

The graceful feline hopped on my shoulder, watching through the window with me, "_Well, she'll be back in a couple of days, so suck it up and play nice._"

"That means no hissing at Akamaru for you, Chi." I felt the smile creep back on my lips as I used her own logic against her. My face obviously couldn't decide if it wanted to smile or frown anymore.

"_Ugh!_" Her ears flattened in annoyance, "_Fine, we can be a little mean. Now go finish getting ready so we can go see Hinata!_"

I rolled my eyes at her as I went, once again, to my closet to grab my kusarigama (chain sickle) off the hook on the inside of the door and hooked it onto my belt loop, looping the weapon around my shoulders and waist so it made an X between my breasts. I hooked my ninja pack to the kusarigama so it cushioned my butt if, and when, I fell. It was mainly filled with medical herbs, ointments, and bandages. I tied my headband around my neck, proudly declaring myself as a Leaf Village shinobi.

I grabbed my gray hoody from the chair's backside. As I put it on, hiding my kusarigama beatifully, Chi crawled into the hood. I headed over to my bookshelf to grab my kunai holster and strap it to my right thigh.

"_Ready now?_" Chi yowled her complaint, resting her paws on my shoulder and her head on her paws.

"Yes, yes." I sighed, deciding to quit stalling, "Let's get this over with."

I headed downstairs, stopping just before walking over the threshold. I called to the older male in the house, knowing he was in the kitchen making coffee, "Bye, Uncle. I'll be back this evening!"

"Have a good day, be careful. Good luck with the mutt, Miyu!"

I rolled my eyes, knowing that my uncle had been eavesdropping earlier since he had no trust in any boys. Not even my own teammates who I've known almost my entire life.

I headed out the door with my faithful feline to greet my worst enemy.


	2. The Boy and His Dog

I heard the low growl in Chi's throat as we neared Kurenai's meeting place. It was at a three-way intersection with a large tree being where the fourth road would've been. The yellowish-tan fencing were taller than my own height, making me feel short. I didn't like it. Just as much as I didn't like the other two familiar growls coming from a group of three human figures up ahead, standing in front of a tree. I've heard those growls far too many times in my life to not know who they belonged to. I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from mimicking my feline's growl.

"Hello to you, too, _mutt_," I spat in disgust instead.

He turned his head away as though he couldn't stand the sight of me, but that did stop his growling.

Good.

If he didn't want to see me, then he doesn't have to look at me. His dog, Akamaru, glared at me, though. I glared back, narrowing my pupils at the puppy. There was a whimper, then the pup ducked into the Inuzuka's hood like I had transformed into a bat that flew out of Hell.

Good.

His dog shouldn't have to look at me either. Akamaru had already been shaking a little from smelling my chakra strength. Chi had a similar sense to it.

"Miyu-chan!" A shy squeal made my nerves relax a little, like I didn't just have a glare war with a dog.

"Hina-chan!"

I hurried over to the female genin, bringing her into a tight embrace. Chi had hopped out of my hood just before we hugged. When we separated, her pale eyes lit up for a moment before they grew extremely worried, "What are you d-doing here? Isn't Misaki-sensei s-suppose to being training you today? K-Kurenai-sensei should be showing up any second now."

"Sorry," he didn't seemed too concerned about it, or too apologetic. In my opinion, I thought he was secretly laughing at me behind that mint green coat.

"Oh, and I found that spider in my room last night," I glared at my friend. "Lucky for me, Chi was able to swat the sucker down and get rid of it before it decided to make a meal out of me."

His eyebrows knit together in annoyance, "Of course she did..."

"Anyway," I placed a comforting hand on Hinata's head, ruffling her midnight blue hair a little, "Misaki-sensei is off on a mission, so I'm hanging out with Team Kurenai until she gets back."

The girl's pale complexion grew slightly pink-ish in her cheeks, and she started to twiddle her fingers. She was such a cute girl, if only she'd get over her shyness a little and have enough confidence to confess to the completely oblivious boy that was known as Konoha's Knuckle-headed Ninja. I will never understand what the girl sees in him, but I'm glad she found whatever it was. The boy needs to be loved by _someone_.

"So, Misaki-sensei assigned you to us?" A quiet, but rather creepy voice spoke from the other side of Hinata; the kind of voice that you wouldn't want to be locked up in a dark room with, "Is there any particular reason for that?"

I whirled around and jabbed my finger against the guy's chest, "Look, here, Shino. How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me? You nearly gave me a panic attack! _Again_." I glared at the boy, trying to melt his dark, circular sunglasses in the motion but failing epically, "Oh, and I found another one of your spiders in my room again last night!"

"Mind returning him to me?" A single eyebrow raised as he put his hand in his pale mint-green coat. It looked like one of those paramedic ninja jackets.

"Sorry, but he smells like lavender now." I smiled innocently to my friend, hoping that he wouldn't be _too_ upset with me, "You should've known better. Now had it been a butterfly, I would've left it alone. Since it was a spider, Chi got the sucker down for me then I bombed him with perfume."

"That figures..." The eyebrow lowered, furrowing with the other. He was definitely mad.

The growling got louder as it came from both the boy and his dog. Chi was on her toes as she and Akamaru watched each other, daring the other to strike first. I felt a growl in the back of my throat. Irritation started to pick at my insides, tempting me to punch the boy right in his teeth-baring mouth. It was the instinct that was screaming at me to fall into it.

Instead, I took the polite way, "Put a sock in it already, mongrel. We're going to be stuck together either way, so just deal with it."

"There's no way you're going to be on this team," he growled. "I won't accept it. It's not going to happen."

"Good thing it's not up to you then," I sneered. "My sensei assigned me to this team while she's away, so that's exactly where I'm going to be. I don't care what _you_ have to say about it."

"Then that _sensei_ of your is an idiot." His eyes narrowed at me as though he were looking at something disgusting, "She's obviously irresponsible if she put _you_-"

Something snapped inside me.

I hadn't even realized what happened until my fist throbbed with a light pain. The boy was on the ground, holding his jaw. His eyes were wide with shock like he couldn't believe that I had just hit him._ I_ couldn't even believe it. The proof of the matter was the bruise forming near his fang-like marking on the right side of his face.

My rage stayed with me as I yanked the boy to his feet by the collar of his hoody. His hands tried to pry my fist away as I spoke low enough for only his ears, "If you ever, _ever_, disrespect my teacher again, it will be much more than just a punch to that yapping muzzle of yours, Inuzuka. Just because you have issues with me because of my bloodline does _not_ mean you can start bringing other people into this."

He shoved me away from him, brushing himself off. He acted as though we were still children running away from the cooties. I heard Chi's hiss dissolve into a dangerously low growl as she stared off with the Pyrenees puppy. The dog stood protectively next to his master, glaring and growling at me for touching him. It was obvious that my feline didn't like it with how her fur bristled.

"Well, I suppose that means Miyu explained what was going on," a feminine voice caught my ears. "I can hear the growling and hissing a mile away."

A fairly tall and light-skinned woman of a slender built stood just a few feet away with her arms crossed. She had long, black, shoulder-length untamed hair, and very unique eyes that were an odd crimson color with an additional ring in them. She wore make-up consisting of red lipstick and purple eye shadow. Her outfit consisted of a red mesh armor blouse with only the right sleeve visible. Over the blouse was very broad material which resembles bandages with a pattern on it similar to those of rose thorns. Her hands and upper thighs were also wrapped in bandages, regular shinobi sandals, and the Konoha forehead protector.

I bowed respectively to her, "I apologize for attacking one of your students, Miss Yūhi, but he disrespected my own teacher."

"I heard," she nodded her acknowledgement as I straightened. Her crimson eyes narrowed on the Inuzuka, "I shall speak with him about this later. And Miyu, you don't have to use such formalities. You know you could just call me Kurenai."

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei. Thank you for taking me under your wing while my own sensei is away." I stood straight and gave her a childish grin. "I look forward to learning from the Genjutsu Mistress."

"Good, you're still the unusual girl I met the first time." Kurenai laughed, "I was beginning to get worried with the respective motions."

"Misaki-sensei said to play nice," I sent a silent glare to the Inuzuka, "so I'll try my best until he says something about my sensei or teammates."

"I don't trust her," Inuzuka spoke up again, his dark eyes narrowing as he glared at me. Pointing an accusing finger at me, he shouted back at his own teacher, "Well, I don't understand why she has to be on _our_ team!"

"Misaki is a close friend of mine, Kiba, and she asked me to work with one of her students," she explained. "Having her on our squad for the time being will even out our sparring and will bring us farther into the training for the Chūnin Exams."

The boy's eyes turned on me as he snarled, "I don't care what the reasons are. I will _never_ accept you as a comrade. You and I will always be enemies, so don't think I will protect you if you get yourself into trouble."

"Same goes for you, _puppy_," I felt my lip twitch in its own snarl. "It's stupid to ask why if you're just going to reject the explanation anyway."

"Enough."

Kurenai held the authority amongst her team with ease, so it didn't surprise me to hear such power in her voice. It just surprised me that it was enough to send a shot of fear down my spine with one word. All my instincts were telling me not to test the woman in front of me, and I was planning on listening to them.

Hinata came to my side, pinching the fabric of my sleeve in her shy way. Shino stood next to her, and the Inuzuka next to him so that we formed a straight line in front of Kurenai. Her crimson eyes grazed over each one of us.

"As you have heard," she started, "Misaki has assigned one of her students to us. Until her return, Miyu _will_ become part of our team." Her eyes lingered on the Inuzuka for a moment as a warning. "I don't care for any rivalry going on. Keep it to your training. Use it as motivation for all I care. If I know Misaki's team well enough as I hope I do, we might be expecting one, or both, of Miyu's teammates to check in on our training."

I nodded in agreement. The boys knew I didn't like being near the Inuzuka for too long without wanting to rip his insides out from his endless yapping. They were going to want to check in on me to make sure that I hadn't tried to kill the boy or that he hadn't tried to harm me in any way.

"Let's head out to the Training Grounds," Kurenai continued. "We'll start our warm-ups, then we'll partner up. Understood?"

"Understood," the four of us spoke in unison.

* * *

I took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the Third Training Grounds. It was just a portion of land located inside of Konoha. There was a clear view of mountains in the landscape, and a deep river with forests in the both of its sides. There was a glade, just a small clearing, and in its center there are three stumps lined side by side. A little further behind the stumps, closer to the beginning of the forest, was the memorial stone. It had the sharp shape of a kunai head.

I smiled as Chi ran ahead to jump up on the middle stump. She sat there like she had just claimed her queenship. I linked my arm with Hinata's as we followed Kurenai to just before the stumps. She turned to us and crossed her arms.

"Let's begin the warm-ups." She looked over at me, "With how many times you've come to visit, Miyu, I'm sure you know how to do them?"

"Aye," I smiled at her. "Remember, I've joined in when it was my day off."

"I do," she returned the smile. "That means you'll have no problem getting them all done."

I pulled out a gauze from my ninja pouch, "Hinata, give me your hands."

She looked at me curiously, but she obliged to my order. I wrapped up her palms, one after the other, quickly. After a moment, I knew she understood what I was doing. Handwraps were there to hold her hand together providing support for her wrists, fingers, knuckles, and the entire hand itself. It was to secure all the loose joints and moveable bones, fasting all her joints together so the shock is better distributed across her entire hand

She nodded her thanks before she hurried over to her teammates. I wrapped up my own hands as Kurenai walked up to me. I nodded in acknowledgement to her presence.

"You know," she told me, "you're not going to be able to wrap up your hands when your in the heat of battle."

I smiled without looking at her as I finished up the wrapping, "That's why I do it during training. Then again, you should know this, sensei, since you always have your hands wrapped up."

"That's true enough..."

"Besides," I continued, "I don't have my bells with me today, so I can at least wrap up my hands."

I looked up at her then to find her looking down at my feet. Actually, I had completely forgotten my bells after the news of being on Kurenai's team. They were used as a type of weight. They were made from an extremely heavy metal, but the pendulums were missing to keep them silent. Misaki had gifted them to me from her friend, Guy-sensei, when I first joined the team.

We went through multiple exercises, needing to do at least a certain amount within a time limit. The Inuzuka and I glared at each other as we tried to outnumber the other. I beat him at our two mile run through the forest between me, him, and Hinata. Shino was the long-range fighter of the group, so he had his bugs chase after us as a motivation to _run_. He won at hunting down Kurenai in the forest by using instincts. I dodged twenty kunai knives thrown by Kurenai while he dodged nineteen. We continued on our back and forth competition.

We were always right behind each other, evening out the score in the end.

"All right," Kurenai nodded approvingly. "Now it's time to pair up."

I gave a quick pant of a breath, noticing the Inuzuka in the same shape as myself. Hinata looked exhausted, and Shino looked... like Shino. He didn't even break a sweat. Oh, how I envied him sometimes...

I gave Hinata a light pat on the head, and she smiled up at me from her spot on the ground. The sweet girl had tired herself out in her attempt to catch up instead of pacing herself during the run. She was built for close-range combat where she could use her Gentle Fist on the enemy. She wasn't built for tracking and speed like the Inuzuka and I nor was she built for long distance and defense like Shino.

Kurenai let her eyes glance at each one of us before she spoke, "Are you ready for the first sparring match?"

I looked up at her and smirked, "I'm ready whenever. Just assign me to a student, and I'll fight 'em."

"Well," she smiled, "in that case..."


	3. The Whisper

"_What?!_" Inuzuka and I shouted at Kurenai at the same time. Our shocked emotions were clearly mixed in our voices.

"Well, you two are going to end up fighting again at some point, so you might as well fight each other now during training." Kurenai nodded, then she turned to her other two students, "Shino, Hinata. You two will spar afterwards, then it'll be Kiba and Shino, then Hinata and Miyu. Understood?"

The four of us nodded to our instructor, though, Inuzuka and I were glaring at each other instead of looking at the woman, "Yes, Kurenai-sensei."

"Good." She held authority in her tone as though it was something normal, which didn't completely surprise me, "Kiba and Miyu, go to your positions. Begin on _my_ mark."

I went to my position beside a riverbank that streamed through the Training Grounds. "Chi," I hissed her name.

"_Understood, Miyu-chan!_" The white feline jumped in front of me, watching Akamaru with bristled fur.

I tossed a food pill to her, which she crunched up and swallowed quickly, before I popped a pill in my own mouth. I smiled as I saw the black fur fade from snow white to coal black. Her small body released a leopard-like roar, causing the Inuzuka boy to startle.

He quickly recollected himself, tossing a food pill to Akamaru and putting on in his mouth also. I watched as the dog's fur turned crimson due to the effects of the pill. The dog, itself, released a lion-like roar.

"_Begin!_" Kurenai shouted.

All hell broke loose.

Akamaru hopped on Kiba's back as Chi mimicked the motion, in unison Inuzuka and I shouted at each other, "Man-Beast Clone Jutsu!"

A puff of smoke engulfed our bodies, allowing our partners to take our shape in the transformation. When the smoke cleared, she was to my left. Chi and I unzipped our hoodies, pulling out our kusarigamas from underneath, and grinned at the boys. We moved in unison, twirling the chain with tight grips on the handle of the sickle.

"C'mon, boys," we couldn't stop our grins as our voices combined, "let's play for awhile."

"Fine then." The first Kiba to the right growled, "Ready, Akamaru?"

The second, Akamaru, nodded in agreement.

Big mistake on his part by allowing his enemy to know which is which.

The boys twisted their bodies then spoke, "Ultimate Tai-Jutsu, Fang Over Fang!" They leaped into the air, twisting so rapidly that they looked like caterpillar tornadoes in the sky. The twin spirals were aimed straight for us, but they relied on scent. Without the scent, they were completely blind.

"Ready, my lovely?" I asked my twin.

"Oh, yes, let's," Chi replied, her voice mirrored my own.

In sync, we wrapped part of the chain around our wrists, then we threw the sickle part in its own spiral around the mini twisters. We tightened our grips on the handles and pulled them in, bringing the boys to the ground. Retracting the chains by pulling on them, we dragged them closer to us until they were at our feet.

"Oh, the poor dears," Chi started.

"Looks like you lost our little game," I pouted out my bottom lip, taking my boy's chin in my hand.

He glared at me with a certain hatred that I've seen multiple times.

"You know, Inuzuka," I purred with a wink, "you're kind of cute when your mad."

"Eh?" His eyes widened, his cheeks flushing into a light pink.

"Aye, you, too, Akamaru-kun." Chi giggled.

The boys were distracted.

_Purrfect._

In one swift movement, Chi and I twisted our own bodies, flipping the confined boys over our shoulders. The chains released them. They flew into a single tree, one slamming into the other. I looked to my twin. She sent me a victorious smile, and I mirrored it.

"Don't think I'm done just yet, you _cats_..." The boys spoke in unison.

Chi and I jerked our attention back just in time to see them running at us, but we weren't fast enough with the escape. A fist impacted my face, and I knew Chi had received the same fate... That pissed me off. I grabbed the boy's arm and sank my teeth into it, sending chakra to my canines. They sharpened tore through the hoody and into flesh. The human Inuzuka's blood touched my tongue...

My vision went black.

* * *

Kiba couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nekoshima's eyes went from their usual icy blue to a silver. Her brunette hair fell over her eyes as she released his arm. He stared at her in disbelief, but raised his fist again to attack while the opening stood clear.

He froze when she spoke, "_Are you sure you want to do that, little _pup_?_"

It wasn't Nekoshima's usual cocky remark, or her smart-alec tone. It was something deadly and raspy enough to cause the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck to rise. The voice was no higher than a whisper against his ear even though the girl stood at least a good half-foot away from him. It sent uncomfortable chills down his spine.

"_I can smell the fear off you. You know, don't you? That I'm not your little rival anymore... I'm something _else_._"

The thing that took over Nekoshima's body tilted her head, revealing one of the metallic-colored eyes again. The pupil was so narrow that it was barely visible against the bright coloring.

"W-What... _are_ you?" Kiba stammered, trying to move his body far away from this _thing,_ "What happened to Nekoshima? What did you do to her?"

"_Why does it matter?_" She hissed, tilting her head to the other side, "_You hate her enough to want to kill her, don't you?_"

She spread her arms out wide, "_Free hit on the house, puppy dog._"

When Kiba wouldn't move, she looked at him curiously, "_No? Well, then can I have some more of that sweet blood of yours? I haven't tasted blood that good in awhile..._"

"Oh,_ no_..." Kiba snapped his head towards the other Nekoshima, which had to be Nekoshima's demon cat at this point. She looked horrified, "Miyu shifted. She only shifts if..." The cat-girl sniffed the air then looked at Kiba, "there's blood..."

"What the hell is going on?"

"_Do you want to know what really happened to the Nekoshima clan?_"

Kiba returned his attention to the original.

She was less than five inches from his face now with one of the cruelest smiles, "_What truly happened to them that tragic night? What caused your clan to be blamed?_" She lifted her wrist in front of his mouth, "_I can tell you, pup. I can tell you everything you want to know about that night._"

"Miyu-chan!" Chi screeched at ear piercing volume. Akamaru was frozen, confused, next to the feline.

Nekoshima screamed. Her hands flew to her head as though she was going to attempt to claw her hair out. Kiba looked over to his sensei and teammates, but they stayed unmoving, frozen in time. He looked back to the screaming girl in front of him. Her eyes returned to their original icy blue, and they were so sad looking.

"I'm sorry... Inuzuka..." The girl fell to her side next to him, unconscious.

"Nekoshima...?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, but there was no response, "Nekoshima!"

Her body exploded into a blue rose petals.

"Kiba, are you all right?" Kurenai had jogged over to him and knelt to his level, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Where's Nekoshima?" His tone was desperate, urgent even, "Is she all right? Where is she?"

His teammates looked surprised, and Kurenai even jerked her head back a little. He knew they probably thought he hit his head a little to hard, but he didn't care. He felt like he needed to find the girl and make sure she was okay, but he also wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. There was something not right about what he just saw.

"_Well?!_"

Shino pointed to Kiba's right.

He moved his attention down to the body next to him, looking it to make sure that it was completely intact. She was on her side, but she was breathing. It seemed that she was asleep, or maybe unconscious. He hesitantly put a shaky hand on her shoulder to make sure that she was there.

A salty scent hit his nose.

Tears?

He looked at her face and saw that there was a tear falling off the bridge of her nose, then it splashed on the dirt.

"She fell unconscious after whatever jutsu she put you under." Kurenai explained.

"It was... a jutsu?" He looked at his sensei in complete confusion, "But... It was so real."

"Might have been a Gen-Jutsu." Shino offered a conclusion, "We can ask when she wakes up."

"Chi, Akamaru!" Hinata squeaked.

Kiba looked frantically for a second until he saw two small creatures walking towards them. Akamaru was leaning against the white cat for support. They were both covered in dirt and scrapes from their own battle. The cat helped Akamaru until the dog was on Kiba's lap, then she went over and nudged Nekoshima with her nose.

The cat seemed to have sighed before she looked at Kiba and mewled, "_My girl needs to be carried home. She won't be waking up for a bit._"

"I'll take Miyu home," Kurenai started to reach for the girl, "Her unc-"

"I've got it," Kiba told his teacher, blocking her way.

She looked at him like he had finally lost his mind, and maybe he did. He wanted answers though, and the cat nuzzling the girl was the only one to give them to him at the moment. What he had seen was too realistic to have been a jutsu.

"Are you sure, Kiba?" Hinata had a small frown on her face as she watched him.

"Positive," he nodded. "Shino, help me get her onto my back."

Shino obliged, but he whispered in Kiba's ear once she was settled, "If you harm her in any way on your trip to take her home, I'll bug your house with fleas and poisonous insects that will love the taste of dog food."

He swallowed thickly at the threat made by the normally quiet on of the group. Hinata was shy, yeah, but Shino was just quiet. He was the deadly one between the two. Their female member was the kind-hearted one that was a big softie to everything, a typical female.

He nodded his farewells to his teammates and headed towards town. His nose twitched at the scent of cat on his back. Akamaru and the demon cat glared at each other, but they made no defensive sounds or attempts to attack each other. Kiba had to glance down a few times to see if both of them were even still there.


	4. A New Connection

It was late in the afternoon now, and Nekoshima still wasn't awake. People were staring at him oddly because it was probably the first time the had ever seen an Inuzuka helping a Nekoshima in who knows how long. Most of the residents had to do a double take at the sight. He didn't blame them. It was a strange sight to see when they'd normally be fighting and yelling. Kiba had to have answers, though, and the cat was the only one that was able to give them to him.

"So," Kiba shifting the surprisingly light girl's weight on his back as he walked, "what was that whole incident back there?"

The white feline twitched at the question, "_What do you mean? It was a genjutsu of course!_"

He was skeptical of the response.

"_Then why did it seem so realistic?_" Akamaru yipped the question before Kiba could open his mouth. He was in his usual spot in the front of Kiba's hoody.

"_Genjutsu normally shows things as the real world for a few moments to trick the mind before it alternates reality,_" the cat wouldn't look at either of them.

"That wasn't a genjutsu. Not even Nekoshima would have said what that _thing_ told me." Kiba shivered at the memory.

_"I haven't tasted blood that good in while..."_

"_Well, Ikari normally doesn't react to someone's blood..._" Chi tilted her head a little, not paying attention to the two males, "_So far, we've only discovered that it's Nekoshima blood and, I suppose, Inuzuka blood, too, now._"

"Ikari?" Kiba repeated the name, looking at the white demon of a feline curiously. _So it was real..._

The cat's body twitched again, startled, as she looked up at him with bewilder eyes, "_You weren't suppose to know that part..._"

"_What's an 'Ikari'?_" Akamaru cocked his head to the side.

"_I can't tell you that._" The cat started shaking her head, "_No, no, no, no, no. Miyu isn't going to like this. This is bad._"

Kiba watched as the cat started bristling, looking around frantically like the girl wasn't on his back and she was going to appear anywhere. It made him a little nervous at the thought of the cat being afraid of something when usually she's the one going up to the biggest dogs in Konoha and picking a fight with them. The small furball normally showed no fear to anything.

Becoming frustrated and worried, he snapped a little at the cat, "What is this 'Ikari'?"

The cat sighed defeatedly,"_Ikari is a being that has the chakra ability to pause time for however long she wants._ _When Ikari comes out, though, we call is a_ shift." She looked up at him with worried eyes, "_I shouldn't tell you any more than that. Miyu will already be upset with me for showing you to her home. Oh, how's Uncle Hikaru going to react?_"

The name rang a bell in Kiba's memory. He remembered the newspapers saying how there were only two humans and a cat that survived the_ Nekoshima Massacre_: Miyu Nekoshima, Hikaru Nekoshima, and a calico, who had been Hikaru's partner. The three survivors spoke nothing of the massacre, and they had been building up the old compound ever since.

"_Please don't blame Miyu for Ikari's behavior._" The cat looped herself through his legs, nearly causing him to trip, "_Miyu got upset somehow, probably when Akamaru hit me. She bit you out of instinct, and maybe that's what caused her _shift_. She's told me over and over that she'd never try to put you in actual harm with Ikari unless she was trying to protect you. It's really the last thing she wants to do._"

"Protect me?" Kiba's voice held confusion as he looked at the feline walking next to him, "Why would she want to _protect_ me if I'm the _enemy_?"

"_She believes that since Hana was willing to befriend her after all that's happened, then maybe there was hope for the rest of the clan. She's a weird one, but she actually likes you. She doesn't want to fight, but she does anyway because you never give up._"

"You're telling me." He shook his head until he realized the rest of the cat's statement, "Wait... she _likes_ me?"

"_We're almost there. We're in the compound now,_" the feline ignored him and walked ahead a little so she could lead the way towards whatever Nekoshima lived in.

Kiba, with an irritated groan, did his best to ignore the endless stares that everyone was sending him.

* * *

Kiba looked around. It was weird being in a place he had always known as enemy territory. Most houses had been rebuilt and a handful that were still burnt down, but no one inhabited any of them. It was like a small ghost town. It would've been completely silent had the birds not been chirping. All the stray cats that use to be crawling all over the place were gone. The happy Nekoshima clan that would argue with the Inuzuka clan was gone.

"_I'm glad that they're all gone,_" the cat growled near his feet, looking at him from over her shoulder.

"Why? I thought all cats loved the Nekoshima clan." Kiba started at the unusual feline.

"_I hated them for what they did to her_," the cat's tail lashed around, bristling in the process. "_It makes me angry to even remember what happened._"

Kiba tilted his head a little to the side, curious to what could have possibly happened to make the beast so upset about it, "What did happened?"

"_I might tell you when she's not about to wake up any second._"

As if on cue, the girl started to stir.

"_Hn_... _warm_..." She muttered under her breath, burying her cold nose in the back of Kiba's neck.

A chill shot straight down his spine, and it took a lot of effort to not spazz at the girl's sudden movements. "Is there any way to stop her from snuggling me?" Kiba sweat dropped.

"_Nope. She normally has a doll that she clings to in her sleep, but your the closest thing she's got."_ The cat snickered, "_Just be happy that she's not squeezing you yet._"

_Great... Not only am I going to have to deal with this beast, but now I have Nekoshima clinging to my back as though I'm a life-size teddy bear._ Kiba thought to himself, wanting to kick himself for allowing his curiosity to get the better of him. Actually, he didn't really mind her snuggling into him as much as he thought he would. It was a bit of a comfort to him.

He shook his head.

_Don't go letting what that cat say to you get in your head,_ he told himself._ Nekoshima and I have been fighting each other for years. We've always been enemies, and we will stay as enemies._

The cat sat down in front of the door to a two-story house, "_I must warn you. Uncle Hikaru hates males, so the fact that you're a male Inuzuka... He might go a little bonkers when he sees you carrying his niece._"

"Great..." Kiba sighed, adjusting Nekoshima to where he had one free hand to at least knock.

Within seconds the door opened to a smiling man, looking like he was in his early thirties, with the same shade of brown hair as Nekoshima. He had slight wrinkles from age, laughter, or worry, but he seemed like a fun-loving guy. He had plaid pajama bottoms and a navy robe on. His slippers resembled that of a frog.

"Miyu, my dear, did you get out of training earl..." His voice faded when he opened his eyes, golden brown eyes, and saw who it was. His gaze shifted from Kiba's face to who he was carrying on his back. In an instant, the man had Kiba by his hair, "What the _hell_ did you do to my niece, boy? After you explain, you can tell me whether I should shove knives down your throat or if I should pierce my sword through your stomach a hundred times."

Akamaru growled at the man, trying to bite his arm and failing.

"Quiet,_ pipsqueak,_" the man hissed.

"_Uncle Hikaru, let him go. He brings no harm today._" The cat came to the boy's rescue, "_Miyu passed out during training today, and the Inuzuka brought her home for us. Release him._"

"She... You... What?" The man looked completely confused, but Kiba couldn't completely blame him either. Hikaru released Kiba's hair, but his eyes returned to a glare, "What's your reasoning?"

"I just figured that I would bring Nekoshima back here so she could get some rest. I had so questions for the can on the way," Kiba actually meant it despite the man nearly ripping his hair out. "Is there somewhere I can put her down?"

"Oh, yes, of course," the man waved him inside and led the boy to a cream-walled living room with beige furniture and dark wood.

Kiba spotted one of the couches so he laid the girl there. She stretched out on her own, rolled away from him, and then curled back up with her eyebrows furrowed. Akamaru hopped out of Kiba's hoody then curled up against the inside of her knee. The man picked up a blanket from the nearby armchair, brought it over, and draped it over the girl. Akamaru was just a lump under the blanket.

"_Ayame..._" Nekoshima muttered, pawing at the couch cushions.

"Ayame?" Kiba looked at the uncle for an explanation.

"It's a doll that my sister-in-law had made for her before she passed away in the accident. Miyu named the doll after her mother," he shook his head sadly. "Chi, would you mind...?"

He looked towards the ground for the cat, but she was already hopping up on the couch with a little rag doll that had black button eyes and black hair. The doll had black little cat ears and a tail. It's smile was stitched like someone was trying to shut the poor thing up. It was a creepy little thing, but also kind of cute in its own way. It had a light blue, triangle dress with the Nekoshima symbol on the bottom left corner.

Kiba watched curiously as the cat hopped up to the top of the couch and dragged the doll until it was right above Nekoshima's face, then just dropped it. Nekoshima's hand tugged the doll's foot down and clutched the little thing to her chest.

"You have no idea how many times I've had to sew that thing back together because a limb or a button would fall off," Hikaru chuckled as he sat in the armchair he had just taken the blanket from.

"She really loves it, doesn't she?"

"Of course, it's one of the last things she has of her parents," Hikaru nodded Kiba to the other couch on the opposite side of the coffee table. "She can't sleep without it normally. It's what keeps her nightmares away."

"I'm guessing they died in the fire, too?" Kiba sat down awkwardly for a few seconds before resting his forearms on his knees and letting his hands dangle.

"Too?" Hikaru raised an eyebrow, "Oh, that's right, you don't know the full story. Miyu's parents were the only ones that died in the fire."

"What?" The boy was taken slightly aback, "The papers said that the entire clan was murdered by flames."

"Newspapers can lie when they don't know what _really_ happens."

"Then would you mind telling me what _really_ happened?"

"I think that's a story that Miyu should tell you herself, in all honesty." His eyelids lowered halfway, hiding his emotions, "She remembers it vividly as though it were yesterday when it was about four years ago."

Kiba looked at the sleeping girl's back as though it held all the answers, "Why should she be the one to tell me?"

"Well, Mr. Inuzuka, that night affected her the most." The uncle retrieved Kiba's attention easily, "We can forgive, but we never forget. We allow people to earn our trust. Miyu has made me promise not start anything with your clan because she wants to be able to make the peace between our clans that her father had tried so many years ago."

"Who didn't want the treaty?"

"You won't like the answer, but it was your mother."

"That's not surprising, actually." Kiba shrugged, "She hates anything that has to do with the Nekoshima clan."

"That's because Ayame was her best friend in her younger years."

Kiba jerked back slightly, "What?"

Well, that was certainly a surprise.

"Oh, yes, I remember it clearly." Hikaru smiled. "Tsume Inuzuka and Ayame Nakamoto were the best of friends in the academy. My brother was envious of their relationship because he believed he was in love with Ayame, which he was. After Tsume found out they were getting married, your mother broke off the friendship with Ayame due to the struggle between our clans. Tsume hated my brother for taking away her best friend when Ayame wanted to constantly rebuild their bond. Then Miyu was born. Ayame wanted Tsume to be the godmother, but she knew your mother would refuse. When Miyu turned eight, Ayame and my brother were killed. Tsume holds hatred against the Nekoshima clan for that, too, because had Ayame not have married Hitaro, then she might've been alive still. Your mother absolutely hates Miyu because, despite the brown hair and a few other habits, she's the spitting image of Ayame."

Kiba took a moment to take in the information he had just been given, then replied with a simple, "Wow..."

"Well, boy, it's best you be off." Hikaru stood, "I wouldn't want your mother to smell too much of us on you. Thank you for bringing Miyu home, and I apologize for my earlier assumption."

Kiba didn't really know what to say, but he stood up and bowed respectfully, "Thank _you_ for the information."

"I can understand if you don't completely believe my story, but if you bring up Ayame's name... watch your mother's expression." The uncle led Kiba to the door he had recently entered from.

"Thank you once again." Kiba shook the man's hand then whistled, "C'mon, Akamaru. Let's go before Mom has a fit."

Akamaru uncovered himself from the blanket, ran over, and leaped into the boy's arms. Kiba turned from the Nekoshima house then headed home. He knew his mother was going to kill him if she caught Nekoshima's scent on him. He'd have to hide his hoody until he could wash it. It'll be one interesting week.


	5. Hinata's Memories

**_.:Hinata's Point of View:._**

Hinata was just fresh from the bath with beads of water falling down her shoulders. Her short, midnight blue hair damp and smelling like her favorite lavender shampoo. A light purple towel wrapped snuggly around her thin body as she dug in her drawers for a pair of clean pajamas. When she found a pair, she tossed the towel aside and slipped into them. She used the smaller towel on her head to dry her hair the best she could then brushed out her hair, removing the excess water. She repeated the process until her head was dry.

Once finished, she tossed that towel with the other one. She plopped herself on her bed with a contented sigh then pulled her pillow onto her lap. She stuck her hand into the pillow cover and padded it until she found the tear in the middle. Digging through the pillow's stuffing, she found a hard-covered object. She pulled it out and smiled to her diary. Only Miyu knew about her diary because she had bought it for Hinata during one of her _shopping impulses_. Miyu showed Hinata that one of the best places to hide it from a nosy cousin or sister was to make a small tear in her pillow and hide it within all the fluff.

"Ah, Miyu-chan..." Hinata smiled at the thought of her dearest friend. The thought of Miyu led her to Kiba's strange reaction.

_Kiba-kun had always hated Miyu ever since they were little... I wondered what happened between him today..._

Miyu had told Hinata of all the things that the Inuzuka had done throughout the years because not only had Miyu been born as a Nekoshima, but she was the daughter of the head of the clan, much like Hinata herself. They had met during one of their fathers' meetings. It was a fond memory that Hinata held close to her. Hinata fell back on her pillow and clutched the diary to her chest. She shut her eyes and re-visioned the time.

_"Hinata, we're going to be seeing a man from the Nekoshima clan." Her father had told her during their walk toward a strange compound, "The head is an old friend of mine, and he has a daughter. I'd like you to meet her."_

_"Yes, Father." The miniature Hinata, who was only about four years old, nodded quietly to the older man as she clung to his hand._

_"Hiashi!" Another man, very spirited and happy, jumped out of the house. The stranger ran over and hugged her father in a warm embrace._

_Father didn't seem to like it too much and simply patted the stranger on the back._

_The stranger looked down at Hinata with eyes that were an unusual brown with a light golden iris. He had warmth spreading through them with the gold expanding and blending with the chocolate brown to create a pretty bronze, "What a lovely young lady, Hiashi." The man nodded approvingly as he bounced on his heels, clearly in a good mood._

_His dark brown hair seemed to have been going in every which way direction as though he had just woken up. He only had a fishnet shirt on and a pair of rumpled brown pants. He was dressed casually, like he wasn't just about to enter a meeting with the Head of the Hyuuga clan. It was hard to believe that _this_ man was also head of a clan. The man's arms were torn with multiple scars showing that he had done his fair share of fights._

_"Hitaro, this is my daughter, Hinata," Father declared with a certain warning tone that Hinata's only heard when her father had been training her, and the Lord knows that she's terrified of it, but the strange man only seemed to be _happier_ with that cursed tone._

_"Oh, I just can't wait for her to meet my precious Miyu!" He bounced around in a miniature half circle so that he was facing the house now._

_Father groaned irritably, causing Hinata to tear her eyes away from the strange man to look at him. His large hand was covering his face as he shook his head._

_"Miyu-chan!" The stranger called in a singsong voice, "Come out my darling daughter that Daddy loves so much!"_

_"Coming, Papa!"_

_"You spoil that girl too much, Hitaro," Father muttered as his gaze looked back at the other man. Hitaro didn't seem to notice the comment, though._

_Within seconds, a girl poked her head from the side of the open doorway. She had the same shade of brunette for hair, though it also looked uncombed. She had the prettiest icy blue eyes that a person could see. The girl hopped down the steps leading up to the house and ran over to them in a long-sleeved shirt and pants. She watched Hinata with warmth in those eyes, like that of an older sister, and as she did, a wave of dark blue swept over her irises until they covered the icy color. They were now a beautiful sapphire now._

_"Hi, Miss Hyuuga-chan," the unusual girl smiled brightly like her father, "My name's Miyu Nekoshima. I'm very pleased to meet you." She did a small curtsey._

_"H-Hello." Little Hinata scooted behind her father due to her shyness, "My n-name is H-Hinata Hyuuga."_

_The girl known as Miyu turned her attention to Hinata's father and bowed to the waist, "Good morning, Mr. Hyuuga-sama." She straightened and smiled brightly._

_Father grunted, but nodded approvingly as he turned his attention to the other male, "Hitaro, your wife's done a good job with the girl's manners."_

_"Hey!" Hitaro crossed his arms and pouted like a child, "I helped, too!"_

_"It's okay, Papa." Miyu placed a hand on her father's arm, "You and Mama raised me wonderfully."_

_"Oh, my Miyu-chan!" The man squealed, scooping the small girl into his arms and twirling her into a circle, "You're such a sweetheart!"_

_Hinata felt a pang of jealousy at the man's affections towards his daughter, and she looked up to her own father._

_"Hitaro Nekoshima," a woman's voice screeched, "you better put my daughter down right _now_, or I'll take the my kunai set to your head! I'll be the bloody red queen of the Nekoshima!"_

_Hinata's, and the rest of the party's, gaze turned towards the voice. The woman was stunning despite the haughty pose with her hands on her hips and feet spread apart. She had silky black hair that was tied in a sloppy bun and bright white... No, _icy_ eyes that sent her husband into shivers as he can to an abrupt stop. The woman was only wearing a pair of blue pants with house shoes and a pink shirt. She clearly had control over the man she was married to, which was rather strange in Hinata's opinion. She had grown to see male dominance in her household._

_"Yes, dear..." Hitaro let Miyu down and kissed her head, "How about you and Hinata go play in the garden?"_

_"Okay, Papa!" The girl grinned and trotted over to Hinata, "Want to go see my garden, Hina-chan?"_

_Hinata was a little taken aback at the sudden nickname, "'H-Hina-chan?"_

_Miyu nodded with that smile still in place, "It's shorter than 'Hinata-chan,' but still just as cute."_

_Hinata blushed._

_Miyu took Hinata's hand in her own and led her away from her father, but as she did, she heard her father say something, "Hitaro, you fell asleep with Miyu on you again, didn't you?"_

_"Well, my daughter is like an automatic sleep button! She knocks you right out."_

_The strange girl led Hinata into one of the prettiest gardens a four year old could see. There were all kinds of different flowers in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colors, aromas, textures._

_"This is my secret garden that my Mama and my Papa started when I was born." Miyu went over and sat on a large wooden picnic bench in the center of all the beauty with a weeping willow tree shading it, "They wanted a place for me to run to if I'm ever upset. They pick the flowers for me if I want them because of the thorns on some, but I get to plant the seeds and water them every day."_

_Hinata quietly went over again sat next to the girl, "It's really p-pretty, Nekoshima-chan!"_

_Miyu grinned, "You can just call me 'Miyu-chan' or even just 'Miyu'. My Papa told me that there's no formalities between friends."_

_"F-Friends?" Hinata gazed at the girl in shock. She had never known anyone that wanted to actually be _her _friend before. Normally the other kids would leave her alone or pick on her for being a shy butterfly._

_"Yep." Miyu jumped up suddenly, ran over to a group of purple flowers, then ran back, "You're going to be one of my dearest friends, Hina-chan. I know it."_

_"H-How?" _

_"Because I have a feeling that we will be the best of friends and grow into old ladies together." Miyu giggled and tucked a purple pansy behind Hinata's ear, "That we will be an unstoppable pair. You will become like a sister to me, and I to you, Hina-chan. Nothing will be able to break our bond, even if there's a distance between us."_

_Hinata was utterly confused by the strange girl's words, but they made her happy. She wanted to make Miyu's words a reality._

"And they have." Hinata smiled to her ceiling as though it were her friend, "They've become reality, and they will stay that way."

Hinata sat up, plucked a pen from her desk, and wrote in the earlier events of the day. As she did, her mind wandered back to her teammate's reaction today. _Kiba was rather strange... He seemed as though he nearly lost Akamaru today. Kiba never acts that way towards Miyu-chan. I wonder what happened... _Her mind drifted to the day she had apparently saved Miyu from Kiba's attack.

_"Hina-chan!" Miyu bounced excitedly over to the open seat next to the seven year old Hinata._

_The two girls were academy students now. They've been inseparable since they've met, basically like sisters in different houses. The Nekoshima compound was more of a home to Hinata than her actual household. Her father would work her to the bone to try and improve her athletic ability, and Hinata knew that he meant well for the Hyuuga clan's future, but she wished he wasn't so hard on her. Though, after practice or in the middle of the night, Hinata always sneaked out to the Nekoshima compound and visited what had become_ their_ secret garden._

_"Hello, Miyu-chan." Hinata grinned cheerfully to her friend, tearing her eyes away from Naruto's see quickly. Miyu was the only one that Hinata was able to talk to without stuttering so much.  
_

_"So, what caught _your_ attention so early in the morning?" The girl's smile was mischievous._

_"Tch." A boy's voice came from in front of the two girls, "Well, look at what the cat dragged in."_

_The boy turned around to reveal Hinata's classmate, Kiba Inuzuka, with his dog, Akamaru, sitting on his head. Kiba was known for ditching class with the rest of the well-known troublemakers; Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akamichi. Hinata never understood why they ditched class when Iruka-sensei always caught them and made them stay after. She didn't understand Kiba's sudden disliking towards Miyu when he was normally a nice boy._

_"Bah, shut it, mutt," Miyu stood straight, frowning, with one hand on her hip and the other in a fist, "or I'll make you taste mud!"_

_Kiba stood, too. He was just a bit taller than Miyu, but the fact that his desk was a step lower than the girls made him shorter. He glared at Hinata's friend, "I'd like to see you try, litter box. Akamaru and I would be able to destroy you__ in one hit."_

_"All bark and no bite," Miyu shot back with a cold grin, "just like a puppy."  
_

_"Why you..." Kiba raised his fist. _

_"Kiba-kun!" Hinata interrupted, standing so suddenly that her chair tipped over._

_The entire class turned to see the commotion. They saw Kiba's raised fist and glared at him. One boy spoke, "Yo, Kiba! You weren't just about to hit Miyu, were you?" _

_"What if I was?" The boy retorted._

_The other boy, who was actually Yoshimaru, got in Kiba's face, "Then you'd have to fight with me before you even _think_ of laying a finger on her.__"_

_"Tch." Kiba's nose twitched, "Whatever. She's a waste of my time." Kiba stalked towards a window and hopped out._

_Without a second glance, he bolted from the academy._

_"Are you okay, Miyu?" Yoshimaru, her savior, crazily circled her, apparently scanning for injuries, "He didn't hurt you, did he? I swear if he did, I'll give him a good one coming at him!"_

_"No, no, Yoshi." Miyu giggled and patted the boy's red hair, "I'm just fine. Hinata saved me before he could touch me."_

_"Hinata did?" His mossy gaze shifted as Hinata squeaked._

_She blushed furiously at Miyu's accusation, starting to twiddle her fingers, "I-I really didn't..."_

_"Of course you did, Hina-chan!" Miyu grinned, "If it weren't for you, that mongrel might've damaged my nose or an eye."_

"That was the first time I spoke to Yoshimaru, too." Hinata giggled, "It's funny how he ended up being Miyu's teammate in the end." Hinata's mind then wandered a few days after it. _I remember when Miyu-chan first told me about the rivalry, too._

_The two girls sat on the bench in their secret garden, surrounded by the different flower aromas. Miyu had been fidgeting and jumpy ever since the incident with Kiba, so Hinata decided to try and talk to her about it. She saw it as the only way to find out why her friend was so uneasy and frightened._

_"Miyu, what's going on with you lately?" Hinata asked, watching Miyu jump, startled, by the sudden conversation. It was completely unlike the usual Miyu that would go running around without a care in the world or that would give everyone some kind of smart alec remark._

_"What do you mean, Hinata?"_

_Her voice was quiet, like _she_ was the shy one. That worried Hinata even more because Miyu was never the type to be quiet. She was always told to use her indoor voice, but she would always say that she didn't have one._

_"You know what I mean, Miyu." Hinata was worried for her friend, but she wasn't going to let her get out of this conversation easily, "I mean that you've been acting strange ever since we had that incident with Kiba!"_

_She jumped again at his name, but this time she pulled her knees to her chest and started shaking. Hinata wrapped her arms around her friend, giving her a tight embrace. She felt bad for raising her voice, but she needed to know what was going on.  
_

_"I think it's about time I tell you the truth, Hinata."_

_Hinata pulled back and adjusted herself so that she was face-to-face with Miyu, "Yes?"_

_With a heavy sigh, Miyu began her story, "The Inuzuka and Nekoshima clans have been rivals for a long time. At first it was just because our clans were territorial, but then something happened to make things worse. Whenever I asked about it, my parents would ignore the question. I figured it was something that was kept to the adults. I still don't know what it is that makes them hate us so much." Miyu's icy eyes turned into a deep sapphire as sadness sunk into her body language and her tone, "I just wish that we could live in peace, but that's not going to happen for a long time, probably never. I don't know why the Inuzuka's leader refuses to make a treaty with us, but my father's tried his best."_

_Hinata took Miyu's hand in her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Miyu-chan." She smiled, "You'll find out sooner or later. Just give it time."_

_"I just wish that the hatred would stop." Her friend looked at her with such sad, blue eyes that it just broke her heart, "They've threatened, beaten, and tortured my clan. My clan isn't even better than the Inuzuka! They're out for blood, and they won't stop until there's one animalistic clan left standing, and the Nekoshima feel the same."_

"I hate that they have to hate each other," Hinata fell back on her bed. "They'd make a wonderful team if they didn't have to fight each other."

Hinata had seen their techniques being used against each other, and every time she thought about how powerful they'd be if they worked together. She saw a new side of Kiba today, so there was a spark of hope in her heart that Kiba might change his ways towards Miyu. They'd be an interesting pair, but extremely powerful with Kiba's smell and Miyu's hearing. Miyu would be able to guide through the darkness and Kiba would be able to rip the opponent to shreds. Then there was her and Shino. Shino used his bug to attack, so he'd be long distance. Hinata would be used to find the enemies or to help attack once she became more confident.

Her mind worked itself into exhaustion to where the girl fell into a deep slumber. She needed the rest. It was going to be a big day tomorrow.


	6. Secrets

When I woke up the next morning, my head hurt like hell. It took me a couple of seconds to realize where I was. I sat up, looking around with slightly blurred vision. It cleared quickly, though, after a couple of blinks. I was on a couch with a dark red blanket on me. The sitting furniture was beige, all except a brown leather armchair. The coffee table and end tables were a dark wood as well. The walls were a cream color.

_I'm home..._ I thought to myself, a heavy sigh escaping from my chest through my nostrils.

I looked down to see a cup of brown translucent liquid on the coffee table. I pulled my sleeves over my hands and picked up the cup, cradling the warmth in my palms. I breathed in the scent. It was tea. I took a long, soothing sip.

"Ah, looks like she's finally awake." I heard my uncle's voice.

I looked over to where it came from to see him standing in the open entryway of the room, leaning against the side of the open frame, where a door should have been, leading to the hall. He was in his usual bathrobe with his silly frog slippers. I noticed the dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't slept well.

"Hi, Uncle," I smiled behind the cup of tea. "Thank you for the tea."

"Actually, Hinata stopped by earlier and made it. I just re-heated it." He rested his head again the wall, looking at me with concerned eyes, "She wanted to check to see if you were all right, but you were still asleep. She was hesitant on leaving you."

"Oh, that poor girl..." I blew on the steaming liquid, watching the ripples flow in circles. "I never wanted her to know about Ikari."

"You don't have to tell her," my uncle reassured, "it was only the Inuzuka that saw her."

"That's even worse!" I shot my gaze straight to him. "How is he? I didn't hurt him, did I? He probably hates me even more now."

"The opposite, actually." My uncle sounded a little surprised himself, "He's pretty concerned about you."

"Really?" I tilted my head, "That makes no sense, Uncle."

"He's curious about Ikari, but we know now that his blood triggers her power as well." Hikaru came over and sat at the edge of the couch. "He's also quite curious about you as well, Miyu. It seemed like he wants to know more about you, but he doesn't know how to approach it."

"I'm sorry, Uncle..." I lowered my lashes in shame, "I need to be more careful, I know."

"Actually, I'm glad." He caught my attention, "This brings us to a connection with the Inuzuka clan that we've never known about."

"Really?" I repeated my earlier comment.

"Yes," he grinned and ruffled my brown hair a bit.

"Uncle?"

"Yes?"

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Put the cup down first," He instructed. I was worried, but I did as I was told. "About twenty-four hours."

"_What?!_" I shouted rather loudly, "Why didn't anyone try to wake me up?!"

My uncle stuck his pinky finger in his ear, probably because it was ringing now, "Well, you looked so peaceful that I couldn't do it. The Inuzuka boy tried, and you slapped him. Hinata was too afraid to try."

I froze, "Inuzuka came here? Twice? How does he know where we live? There's too many rebuilt homes for him to know, not like he'd even enter the compound!"

"_Miyu-chan!_" A cat screamed her excitement as she leaped into my arms.

"I should've known," I groaned. I snuggled into Chi's warm fur and breathed in her scent, "My beautiful baby girl."

"_I'm so happy that your awake, Miyu-chan!_" The feline purred loudly, unable to contain her happiness, "_Now I can run over and tell the team that your awake!_"

"You brought the Inuzuka here, didn't you, Chi?" I asked flatly.

She flinched.

_Of course she did._ I stifled rolling my eyes at her, but I continued nuzzling into her warmth.

"Well, I'm just happy that your awake." Uncle's voice chirped in, "I was thinking about calling a doctor, but I decided against it since they'd probably want to know what happened. You know that I'm terrible at lying!"

"Yes, Uncle. We know." I replied with Chi's nod of agreement.

"Anyway, Satoshi and Yoshimaru stopped by, and they brought you a gift," he nodded towards the window.

I turned my head to find two white orchids sitting in a light blue vase. White orchids meant purity. They are the flowers sent to loved ones as a way of telling them that the gifter is thinking of or caring about the receiver. They express respect, love, and adoration.

I smiled, "Those two goofballs..."

"I may not like you hanging out with boys," I heard my uncle sigh, "but those teammates of yours are my exception. They're good boys."

"Yes," I couldn't stop the smile from spreading wider at the thought of my team with our sensei. "Yes, they are."

"All right, champ, are you ready to move?"

I lifted my one of my arms and put a hand on my bicep, "Yep. I'm ready to get back into the fight, Uncle." I turned to my faithful feline, "Are you with me, Chi?"

"_Now and forever, Miyu-chan!_" Chi gave me a smile, her tail whipping fiercely. There was a wildfire burning brightly in her forest green eyes.

"That's my girl," I scooped her into my arms, then I placed her on my shoulder. She crawled into my hood and placed her paws on my shoulder.

"Miyu," I heard the demanding tone in my uncle's voice and turned to see him smiling, "finish your tea before you decide to run off. You're like your father in that sense. Always running around even when people try holding you down."

I lifted the cup to my lips and drained the rest of its contents, "I know, Uncle. I remember my mother always yelling about how I'd get hurt, then my father taking me anyway because I gave him the kitty eyes."

"He never could resist your kitty eyes," my uncle shook his head at the memories.

There was a long silence before I spoke, "Well, I'm going to go let everyone know that I'm not in a coma."

"Good luck." My uncle had that secretive smile of his now as he took the empty cup from my hands, "You might get a surprise on your way."

"Hm?" I looked at him curiously.

"Oh, nothing," he walked into the kitchen with a slight swagger in his step, proud to know something that I didn't.

_I'll just have to find out what it is myself._ I pouted stubbornly as I walked upstairs, showered, changed, and then walked out the door and into the sunshine.

* * *

Kiba pulled out his kunai knife, ready to fight off Shino's bugs that were closing in on him and Akamaru. His partner growled, ready for the challenge as he snapped his jaws. Then the bugs froze. They retreated to their command, Shino, in one huge swarm. Kiba looked to his friend in confusion, noticing that Shino was distracted by something. Shino was never one to be distracted.

"Yo, Shino!" Kiba called to his teammate, "What's the hold up? Afraid I might kill a bug or two?"

Shino said nothing, but simply lifted his arm and pointed at his distraction.

There, walking towards everyone was a girl with a cat walking next to her. She had brown hair that fell to her shoulders and bangs slanting to the to the right, slightly covering her right eye. The left visible eye was an icy blue color. She had a black camisole with her usual hoodie on and dark pants. She had the usual shinobi sandals on with her ninja gear. Her forehead protect tied around her neck like Hinata's. She was smiling, and she smelled like cat.

"M-Miyu-chan!" He heard Hinata cry before running over and launching herself onto her friend, clinging to the girl like a lifesaver.

"The smell of your tea woke me up," she grinned. "Thanks, Hinata."

Hinata's eyes were overflowing with relieved tears, "Miyu-chan!" She clung even tighter to Nekoshima.

"Welcome back, Miyu," Kurenai appeared next to the girls, giving the newcomer a squeeze on the shoulder.

"C'mon, Kiba." Shino said as he tightly gripped the dog boy's arm, "Let's go greet her, shall we?"

"Yeah, okay..." Kiba was slightly hesitant with seeing Nekoshima after their last encounter ending with him carrying her home.

He remembered the sad expression she gave him before she passed out, and he remembered the tears he saw on her face. He didn't want that to happen again, not with all the questions he needs answered. It wasn't helping that his heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest either, but he blamed it on the adrenaline from the spar.

The cat girl looked over to the two boys making their way towards her and smiled, waving her hand in the air which looked more like flailing, "Hey, Shino! Look, I'm alive again! See, see?" She jumped then did a little spin. "Why're you bringing that mutt with you? He doesn't want to see me."

Kiba bit his lip to keep him from blurting something he shouldn't. _I was worried about you, Nekoshima... _was what he would've said.

When the boys were standing in front of Nekoshima, Shino spoke, "I got worried, so I sent a spider to check in on you earlier."

Kiba noticed Nekoshima shiver slightly, but she recovered and reacted by grabbing Shino by the collar, "Why, I outta'..." She growled, raising her fist.

Shino didn't flinch.

She pulled him into a tight embrace, "I apologize for the worry, and the fact that Chi probably ate your pet."

She released him as the cat Kiba always saw as a demon burped.

"Nyaaaan!" The white beast grinned, "_It was yummy!"_

"Well, I'll have you know that Kiba's been antsy since your little incident." Kurenai grinned, "He couldn't focus on training, but he'll probably do better now that he knows you're okay."

Kiba felt his cheek flare with a strange heat, "I was not, sensei! I couldn't care about that _cat_!"

"Good," Nekoshima put her hands on her hips, "I wouldn't want to deal with you either. You stank like wet dog!"

"Miyu-chan," Hinata took Nekoshima's attention off Kiba, which he was thankful for, "is it all right if I stay at your house tonight?"

"Oh, um..." Nekoshima seemed a little taken aback by the request, but the whole team knew that Hinata wanted to keep an eye on her now that she's awake, "Sure, Hina-chan."

_Great, Hinata's probably going to tell Nekoshima what happened yesterday! _Kiba wanted to smack his palm against his face until he caught Shino staring at him from behind those dark shades that never allowed anyone to see his eyes, "Yeah, Shino?"

Shino leaned closer to Kiba and whispered in his ear, "Miyu sleeps in a over-sized tee and little shorts."

Kiba's face heated up even more at the sudden image in his head of Nekoshima in his hoody and little black shorts. He ran over to the nearest tree and started banging his head against it, growling. _Darn it, Shino! I shouldn't even be getting these thoughts about _Nekoshima_! Mom would kill me if she ever found out!_

"Kiba, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Hinata," he continued hitting his head, even though it was bleeding already, "I'm fine."

The girl caught his head between her palms as she stepped between him and the tree, causing Kiba to realize that it was actually _Nekoshima_ that was asking him. His cheeks had yet to cool down, but he was hoping they weren't noticeable. He watched as Nekoshima took a small cloth from her bag and poured a bitter-scented liquid on it. Both of their noses scrunched up at the scent.

"Well, if you were fine," she dabbed his forehead with the cloth, sending a sizzling sensation where the wound was, "I doubt you'd be hurting yourself."

Kiba's eyes locked with her's for a moment, and he just froze in the icy blue color. He felt himself shiver slightly. They were mesmerizing like ice crystals that could never melt.

_How could I have not noticed them before?_ He asked himself. _Maybe it's because I've always been so cold towards her, and that was reflected?_

"Oh, I'm sorry," she gave him an apologetic smile. "It's probably stinging, isn't it?"

_No, it's those eyes. I've never realized how beautiful they were before..._ But he wasn't going to say that aloud either, he just nodded to her excuse, willing to agree with anything else.

"It's just some hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound."

"Ah, I see."

"I used it a lot when I was a kid," she ringed out the cloth before she put it back in her bag. She pull out a band-aid then stuck it on his forehead.

"It was because of me pushing you aroundso much, right?"

"That, and my own-"

Kurenai cut her off, "Kiba, come finish your fight with Shino!"

"Looks like you're up," Nekoshima started to walk towards where Hinata and Kurenai were standing.

Kiba caught her wrist, "Your own what?"

She looked down at his fingers wrapped around her wrist then to him, sending another shiver down his spine with those eyes.

She simply smiled, "I'll tell you if you win the match. Go finished that match with Shino and be happy that I was nice enough to clean you up a little!"

"Whatever, litter box." He sneered in return, heading back to his original spot before the spar was interrupted.

"Are you ready, Kiba?" Shino asked.

"Let's get this over with," Kiba fed Akamaru a food pill before the dog transformed into a second Kiba. Both boys were baring their fangs, but Kiba couldn't help but smile a little.

_Now, I have to win. That cat always has something up her sleeve, doesn't she?  
_


	7. Garden of Flowers

I sat on the ground next to Hinata as she leaned against the tree stump. Kurenai-sensei sat _on_ the stump, watching the boys intently as she kept muted comments on what they needed to improve on. Chi was laying on my lap; her head on my knee as she basked in the sunlight.

The Inuzuka was swearing up and down at Shino's constant bugs appearing. Shino decided to be funny and put fleas on Akamaru, so the dog was in the corner of my eye chasing his tail or scratching himself. The bug boy was just standing to the side with his hands in his pockets like usual, watching Inuzuka struggle. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Miyu, do you want to know what happened after you passed out?" Hinata's shy voice caught my attention through Kiba's endless curses.

"Sure," I grinned to my best friend.

"Well," she was smiling also, "Kurenai-sensei was ready to take you home when Kiba volunteered to do it instead!"

"_What?!_" I was surprised.

I never would've thought that _Inuzuka_ would carry me home...

With...

My...

Uncle there?!

_Darn that man! Wait until I get my hands on him when I get home! That would explain why I smelled a little like dog this morning, though.  
_

"It's true," Kurenai confirmed with a nod. "He kind of went into a protective state over you. It was strange compared to Kiba's usual behavior towards you, Miyu. It seemed like if anyone else touched you, he would've attacked them."

"Really?" I turned my attention to the boy, watching him running towards Shino until a wave of insects surrounded him again. "That _is_ strange..."

"Mhm," Hinata agreed. "I felt hopeful that he might change his ways like Hana did, but I'm not sure still."

"Well, we'll see." I smiled, "Inuzuka and I made a bet."

"Really now?" Kurenai caught interest, "I knew he was more into the fight after that little talk with you."

"I told him that if he won the match, I'd tell him a secret."

I felt Hinata's gaze on me, but I ignored it. I watched the boys' spar. Inuzuka was met with yet another wave of bugs, but then he ... poofed into Akamaru? I looked around until I caught his scent. My eyes directed to the space behind Shino. I turned my attention to the corner where Akamaru was, but it was empty. When I looked back at the boys, dog boy had Shino pinned to the ground with a kunai to his neck.

"He got Shino?" Hinata squeaked the question.

"Not quite, Hina." I pointed, "Watch Shino closely."

The body melted into a pile of bugs. Shino appeared next to the Inuzuka with a kunai at _his_ neck. The bugs crawled all over Inuzuka, causing him to fall to the ground with the weight. Shino simply put a foot on the hooded boy's back, "You lose."

"_Darn it..._" I heard Inuzuka mutter.

I smirked.

_That's why my bet is always on the bug boy._

* * *

"All right, well, you're all dismissed for the day." Kurenai clapped her hands together, "It was a terrific practice today. Great job, you three."

Inuzuka was digging in the ground with his foot, disappointed at his loss, with Akamaru on his head. Shino stood in his usual, unreadable pose. Hinata was smiling and fiddling with her fingers again. I yawned with a hand in front of my mouth and the other in my pocket. Chi was in her usual spot, my hood. Kurenai disappeared after her praise to allow the four of us to part our ways.

Shino left without a word said, leaving us down to three.

"So..." The dog boy attempted to start conversation.

"So," I repeated with a smirk, "you carried me home yesterday?"

"W-What?" He stammered a bit, "W-Why in the world would I do that? I can't _stand_ you!"

"Really now?" I stepped into his space, sniffing his shoulder, "Then why do you have my scent on you? It's faint, but it's there and all over your back."

There was a pale pink color in his cheeks, "I didn't carry you home!"

With that, Inuzuka ran off with Akamaru clinging to him for dear life. Hinata and I looked at each other for a moment then started laughing at his reaction.

"_That boy is so strange!_" Chi mewled at me, nuzzling into my neck.

"Shush, you." I turned my head away from her, "I'm still mad at you."

"_But... But..._"

"Hmph."

"Miyu," Hinata looked at me curiously, "what did Chi-chan do?"

"Apparently," I looked over at Hinata, "she led Inuzuka to the house while I was knocked out."

"Really?"

"Mhm." I shook my head, "I bet my uncle had a fit when he saw Inuzuka of all people."

"Especially since Kiba-kun is a boy, too," Hinata cringed at the thought.

"How did he react when he saw Yoshimaru and Satoshi?" I bit my lip, feeling a light warmth spread in my cheeks at the thought of my teammates bringing me flowers.

"Well," Hinata started, tapping her index finger against her chin, "he was about to throw them out until he saw the flowers in their hands. I had told the boys that you passed out during training, so they rushed over right away, then they showed up with the flowers when I came to visit." She blushed slightly also, "A-anyway, they stood up against your uncle and declared that he could try to through them out as much as he wanted, but they would continue trying until they came in to see you."

"Really?" I was too surprised to say anything else.

"Yeah, we were worried," a masculine voice said from behind me, and from the tone I knew who it was. "Even if Satoshi refuses to admit it."

"Hmph," another male grunted.

I turned around to see my teammates standing there. Yoshimaru was blushing from embarrassment, scratching the back of his head. Satoshi wasn't even looking at me, but his arms were crossed as if he were pouting. I smiled as I launched myself onto the both of them, clinging to my boys. The three of us fell to the ground with a loud _thud_.

"Oh, my boys!" I squealed, giving both of them a peck on the cheek. "How did you know I loved orchids?"

Yoshimaru grinned, blushing a slightly deeper shade, "I saw you by them last time we were at Ino's shop."

"I was tempted to get you those lilies that you always squeal over," Satoshi muttered, also blushing, "but I decided to get you an orchid as well to make you feel better."

I couldn't help but smile at the boys, "My beloved teammates." I kissed both of their heads before getting off them and standing to my feet, "So, what made you boys come here?"

"We wanted to see if you woke up yet," Yoshimaru started.

"Knowing you, you would've came to the training grounds to overwork yourself again," Satoshi finished.

"I didn't train at all!" I crossed my arms under my chest and pouted childishly with my lower lip out, "I was watching Shino kick Inuzuka's butt. It seemed like Shino was taking the revenge for me."

"Is that what happened?" Yoshimaru asked Hinata.

I glared at him for not trusting my word, but it was understandable. In a way.

Hinata nodded, stuttering, "Y-Yes, she s-sat by me and w-we watch S-Shino-kun and Kiba-kun s-spar."

"See what you boys do?" I pointed an accusing finger at the two of them, "You made Hina start stuttering again! You should be ashamed!" I dramatically wrapped Hinata in my arms like a protective sister, "It's okay, my darling! I'm here for you!"

"M-M-Miyu-chan!" Hinata squeaked, her face turning crimson.

The boys snorted and broke into laughter. Yoshimaru spoke, though he was caught between laughing and gasping for air, "M-Miyu... You're su-such a dramatic!"

"Y-Yeah." Satoshi snorted his our laughter, "You al-always get so pro-protective over her!"

I stuck my tongue out at them, "And I have every dang good reason to be." I released Hinata from my grip, "She's one of my best friends. I'd be the same way with you idiots."

"Hey!" The yelled in unison, the laughter disappearing for a moment then reappearing with them laughing at each other.

"She called you an idiot, Yoshimaru!" Satoshi chuckled.

Yoshimaru retorted, "She called you one, too!"

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes at the two of them, "they really are idiots."

Hinata giggled, but continued to stutter around the company of the male species, "Th-that's not n-nice, Miyu-chan!"

"Humans are weird."

As the five of us left the Training Grounds, I felt a grin sneak its way across my lips. Chi nuzzled me, purring for forgiveness from my hood. Hinata just smiled as we walked with linked arms. The boys were laughing at each other, making rude comments, and doing the usual competitive male play fights. I was happy with my little group, just like I was when I was little.

* * *

He watched from behind one of the many trees in the Grounds as she took her leave with her group of friends. Kiba was still flustered that Nekoshima had found out about him taking her home, but he couldn't bare the thought of her going alone. He had felt two things when her teammates, Satoshi and Yoshimaru, showed up, though. One was relief, which was strange since he was use to not caring about whether the girl was dead or alive when they were at the academy.

The other feeling being jealousy.

He wanted to be the one to walk her home as freely as those two could. He remembered all the strange stares he received when he was carrying Nekoshima on his back, but he had volunteered to do it, so he couldn't just back down then. After awhile, he didn't care about the looks he got from the locals.

"Why..." He asked himself, "Why am I thinking about her so much?"

"It's probably her eyes," an oddly familiar voice appeared behind Kiba, making him jump about a foot. "They tend to mesmerize a guy."

Kiba turned to see his own teammate standing there with his hands in his pockets. The guy's glasses were staring at Kiba, but he wasn't sure. Kiba knew he could trust Shino after he had gotten to know him awhile, and after Shino saved him and Akamaru during a few missions. He still thought the guy was creepy, but he knew he could talk to his teammate.

So, Kiba just let his mouth ramble.

"S-Shino," he stuttered before regaining his tongue, "how long have you been there? Didn't you leave before us?"

"You were acting strange today," Shino had said it in his usual, nonchalant tone as if the guy were talking about the weather. "I got curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Kiba shot back.

"You really want to say that while you're conflicting about Miyu?"

Kiba knew Shino was smiling with that comment, "W-What do you mean _conflicting_? I hate her, and that's all there is to it. I have nothing to do with that cat."

The bubbling in his guy told him otherwise, though.

"But now you're unsure if you truly hate her," Shino finished the unspoken words in Kiba's mind. "Something happened during the spar between you two, and now you're conflicted. You don't know if you want to believe what your clan taught you about the Nekoshima anymore. You looked into her eyes, and you felt something spark."

Kiba lowered his head, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. _How is it that Shino could pinpoint my exact feelings unless..._

Shock overcame Kiba for a moment, and his head shot up to stare at his teammate, "Shino, you have feelings for-"

"No," he said before Kiba could even finished his sentence. "I don't have feelings for Miyu."

"Then how do you know all this?"

"I don't have feelings for Miyu," he repeated, "but I did have my mind changed about her."

"What does all this have to do with her eyes?"

There was a frustrated groan from Shino's direction before he continued, "When you first saw her eyes, you think of them as ice crystals. Next time you saw her, you saw how cold those crystals really are. She has a warm heart with bits that are frozen from her past. Eyes are mirrors of the soul."

With that, Shino disappeared without waiting for Kiba's response or another word said.

Kiba bit his lip hard enough to taste blood as he headed home. He mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, trying to figure out what Shino had meant. The words never left his mind, and they probably wouldn't for awhile.

* * *

_"She has a warm heart with bits that are frozen from her past."_

_What did he mean by that? _Kiba mentally asked himself. _Why does he always have to speak in puzzles? Does he know something happened to Nekoshima? _

Kiba's mind was such a flurry that he barely heard Akamaru's warning bark and walked straight into a pole. He rubbed his bruised nose and looked around for a moment. He was in unfamiliar territory. He scanned the area to realize that he was in the Nekoshima compound.

_I must have been too lost in thought..._ He told himself.

"Hina-chan!" Nekoshima's voice caught his attention, "I'm not kidding! It seemed so realistic, too."

"You're so silly, Miyu-chan!" A second voice perked up, and it took him a moment to find out that it was Hinata's, "I can't see that happening at all!"

Akamaru whined softly.

"_Shhh..._" He put an index finger to his lips, motioning the dog to be quiet.

Kiba followed the voices to find what looked like a large building of leaves. It was a box-shape with an arch-like entryway showing a rainbow of colors. Kiba crouched to the ground and peeked through a small hole in the green wall, seeing flowers everywhere. There was a willow tree swaying its slender branches in the breeze in the center of the roofless green buidling. He noticed that there was also a white picnic bench under the growing tree with two girls sitting at it. On the table of the bench were glasses filled with some kind of brown, translucent liquid and a light blue pitcher. The girls were laughing, surrounded by the bright colors.

"Well, I still can't believe that Inuzuka of all people carried me home," Miyu poured more of the liquid from the pitcher to both glasses. "That was strange, but it was really sweet of him. I'm just glad he didn't leave me in a dumpster."

Kiba felt a painful stab at his heart with that comment, knowing that he would have done that exact thing had it been during their academy years and recent graduation. He didn't really like the thought of him wanting to cause Nekoshima pain. He stood to leave, not wanting to hear anymore.

"Oh, Miyu-chan, don't say things like that," Hinata protested. "Kiba-kun can be harsh, but he means well. I know that you know that with how you've been watching him lately."

His heart fluttered for a moment, and he tried to ignore it.

_She's been watching me...?_

He returned to his position and watched the girls, hating himself for spying, but he wanted to know more badly. Was this how Hinata watched Naruto?

"I have not!"

"Please, Miyu-chan," Hinata giggled, batting a hand at the other girl, "you've been watching Kiba-kun like I've been watching Naruto-kun, and don't you deny it!"

"Ugh," Nekoshima smacked her forehead with her hand then looked towards the sky. "I don't know how to explain it, Hina."

"You like him," Hinata said simply.

Kiba's heart started pounding rapidly.

Nekoshima shook her head, "How can I like someone that hates me?"

Kiba watched as Hinata covered Nekoshima's hand with her own, "It's like that book you're so crazy about _The Sea Prince and The Fire Child_, how the two people from completely different worlds were able to fall in love despite their differences."

"That's a fairytale, Hinata," Nekoshima told her with a slight frown. "It makes no sense in the real world. Nekoshima are cats, and Inuzuka are dogs. Cats and dogs are not suppose to intertwine. It's basically a law between our clans."

"For as long as I've known you, Miyu-chan, you have never made one bit of sense," Hinata smiled, "but that's what I love most about you. If there's one person that can change the law of clans, it would be you."

"Oh, Hina-chan..." There were tears in the brunette's eyes as she quickly wiped them away before she covered Hinata's hand. Kiba noticed Nekoshima's nose twitch for a moment, "What's that scent...?"

_Crap, she caught me_. Kiba resented himself for not leaving when he had the chance.

"Scent?" Hinata tilted her head curiously, "No one should know about our garden. Who's scent is it?"

"It smells like," she paused to take another whiff of the air, "Inuzuka?"

Kiba got up and bolted out of the compound as fast as he could. He ran past the staring people, ran past the shops and their keepers, and even ran past that loudmouth Naruto. He didn't stop running until he was in his room with the door shut.

Akamaru hopped off his head and sat in front of him. Kiba's heart was pounding too quickly, and far too loudly, for him to think about anything else.

_"How can I like someone that hates me?"_ was what she had said.

Kiba didn't even know if he truly hated her, or if it was just his mother's teachings that caused him to behave that way for so many years. It was what that cat and Hikaru said to him. It was the spar between them, how she teased him so easily.

He knew it wasn't Nekoshima during part of that when he hit her, it was something else that took over her. He remembered that sad look on her face before she passed out and the tears that fell into the dirt. He never wanted to see her like that again.

He looked down at the fist he used to punch the girl. After a moment, he pulled up his sleeve to find the bite mark her sharp canines had left when they pierced his skin. They had closed, but there was going to be a small scar. The memory was going to haunt him.

_"I haven't tasted blood that good in a long time..."_

The words still sent chills down his spine when he thought about the being. Its silver eyes watching him with hunger, that sickly smile hooked on her lips, and that horrible tone. He will never forget it.

"Kiba," his mother's voice called, "get your ass out here and eat dinner."

With a sigh, he stood to his feet. His legs wobbled a little from the sudden escape and his heart was still pounding, but he opened the door to meet his mother standing there. She was glaring at him. It was then that he realized he was wearing the same hoody he carried Nekoshima home in.

"Why do you smell like cat?" Her tone was deadly.


	8. A Mother's Tough Love

"M-Mom..." Kiba stumbled backwards, falling back down on his butt. Akamaru had already disappeared to hide from her fury.

His mother, Tsume Inuzuka, grabbed him by his collar and dragged him back to his feet, "Answer me."

Her pupils were small slits surrounded by pools of white, showing that she was extremely bristled. His mother had hated everything that was even slightly related to the Nekoshima clan. It was taboo to even say the name unless his mother was demanding answers. She never asked for them, always demanded. Just as she was now.

Kiba stuttered as he came up with an excuse, "I-I had to spar with her today."

"Her scent is all over your back," the woman continued to glare. "Why?"

"She ju-jumped on me when I wasn't looking," Kiba's mind was lost in his mother's hateful eyes at the thought of Nekoshima ever having to possibly deal with his mother's wrath.

"Didn't I tell you to never let you're guard down around the likes of _them_?" Her grip tighten around Kiba's collar, drawing him closer to her face until they were merely inches apart, "Don't let it happen again."

"Y-Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again."

"Good," she dropped him. The woman turned her back to her son, "Those beasts should never have been allowed into the Leaf Village. Let alone that demon of a child be born."

In a quick moment of anger, Kiba spat out something he really shouldn't have, "Why? Is it because they took Ayame from you? Is that why you hate the Nekoshima clan so much? And her daughter even more?"

Tsume whirled around so quickly that Kiba wouldn't have been surprised if she got whiplash from the speed. Her expression went from shocked to burning anger, "How do you know anything about Ayame?"

Kiba bit his lip, wishing to take it back badly, but it was too late, "I went to the their compound because I dropped Nekoshima off when she passed out. Her uncle, Hikaru, told me Ayame's story. The one about how you and Ayame were best friends until she fell in love with Nekoshima's father. You felt betrayed because you felt like your best friend traded you for your enemy, right?"

"Kiba..." Tsume grabbed him again and slammed him against the nearest wall. Her tone was dripping with venom, "Ayame made her choice. Had she left that clan alone, she'd be alive right now instead of buried under the ground. She made her choice to marry that fool of a man and have that _thing_ as a child. She had a child that had her exact eyes..." Tsume's eyes fell for a moment at the painful memory.

"Ayame... wanted you to be Nekoshima's... godmother," Kiba's back hurt, and so did his chest. The air had been knocked right out of him, but he fought to say what his mother needed to hear, "but she knew that you'd say no... She wanted to build your friendship to what it was, but you refused. Why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," she tossed him to the side.

Luckily, he landed on his bed. Kiba felt his own anger build up, "All my life, you've told me to hate the Nekoshima clan! I deserve to know why!"

"They took away my best friend, and they've caused nothing but trouble, Kiba." Tsume turned to face her son, "It's a natural feud between canine and feline. We hate them, and they hate us. It's how it's suppose to be. There's nothing more to it than the balance between nature. We've always been different, and we always will be. Differences never mix well."

"What if..." Kiba knew he was taking a risk with his next words, "What if we didn't have to be enemies? What if we united our two clans?"

He didn't see the impact coming, but it really didn't surprise him. His left eye exploded with pain, and he was forced to shut it. He knew he was going to get a black eye in the morning. His back will be sore, and he'll probably have a bruise of his mom's fist on his chest.

"We will never unite our clans," Tsume said without hesitation. "Don't _ever_ bring up Ayame's name again, or the situation with that _cat_ clan. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Mom..." He let his bangs cover his eyes, shielding the emotion from his mother.

"You better." Tsume turned away once again, pausing at his doorway, "Wash up for dinner. We're having steak tonight."

As she left Kiba alone in his room, Akamaru crawled out of his hiding spot and onto his lap. The dog whined, licking Kiba's jaw. It brought a small amount of comfort to him. It was enough get him to get off his bed and head to the the bathroom to wash up. Akamaru was following right behind him. They were the youngest in the house, the "pack" as they called it.

_Nekoshima..._

The warmth of the water reminded him of the warmth that spread through him when she was bandaging him up this morning. His gaze traveled from his hands to the mirror above the sink. He stared at his reflection, wincing at the color his left eye was taking. It was now a blueish-purple, but it would darken by tomorrow.

_She's going to hate me tomorrow, but she's going to get hurt if she wanders too close to the pack of wolves.  
_

* * *

Hinata and I had woken up early, made and ate breakfast, and were at the Training Grounds a few minutes earlier than usual. We stopped to water our garden, but that was a quick job. I had made a list of groceries to pick up on my way home, which I handed to Hinata for safe keeping. Kurenai had been waiting for us at the Grounds, so Hinata got to see my Gen-Jutsu training. It was a pretty typical day. Shino showed up right on time, just as I finished my lesson with Kurenai. We were waiting for the Inuzuka now.

I was the first to know of his arrival when my nose caught his scent. I turned towards him, ready for my interrogation about why I caught his scent at my house until...

"K-K-Kiba-kun," Hinata shrieked, "wh-what _happened_ to you?!"

His left eye was swollen shut, already turned into a blueish-black color. He was limping slightly on his right foot. He looked awful, and my heart just broke for the boy. It reminded me of my own past.

He smiled, though, flashing his pearly canines, "I just picked the wrong fight."

Shino was the one to ask my inner thoughts, "Who did this to you?"

"It's nothing to worry about," he waved it off, wincing. "I'll heal up in no time."

"That's crap, Inuzuka!" I shouted, causing him to flinch which made him wince again, "Who did this to you?"

He refused to meet my gaze.

I went over to him, taking his face into my hands and forcing him to look at me, "No one has the right to hurt you like this."

He stared at me for a moment, and I could've sworn I saw something flicker in his eyes, then averted his eyes again, "I don't need help from some _cat_." I hid my eyes behind my bangs as he slapped my hands away, "It's none of your business, anyway."

"Kiba, don't speak to her like that," Kurenai intervened.

"I'll speak to her however I want, sensei," Inuzuka shot back. He spoke the same words he knew his mother would've used, "She is my clan's enemy. She has no right to touch me like we're friends or something."

My body pulsed and my chest tightened at his words.

_It hurts._

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata scolded, "She's just trying to help you!"

_It hurts..._

"Hinata," I addressed just her name, bringing everyone to a silence. I looked up to them, looking directly at the dog boy, "I apologize. It won't happen again, Inuzuka."

I turned around and took my leave.

Once I knew I was far enough, I ran.

I ran hard and fast.

Strangely enough, tears in my eyes blurred my vision, but I kept running. I didn't know or care where I was running to. I just needed to run. I couldn't be on that team anymore. Misaki-sensei was a fool for thinking that the alliance might actually work if she put us on the same team.

Why does it hurt so much, though?

Wasn't I suppose to be happy that someone from my rivaling clan hated me?

_At least I know now that he will never accept me. It was foolish to actually think there was going to be some kind of possible friendship between us. His heart had too much hate in it. _I told myself as I ran passed all the staring people. They loved to stare at the strange ones. _There will be no end to the war between Inuzuka and Nekoshima... But I know who's to blame. I know exactly who did this to him._

_I will make you pay for this, Tsume Inuzuka.  
_

* * *

I stopped when I could no longer run. My legs felt like gelatin and buckled beneath me, causing me to fall on a patch of soft, prickling grass. I looked at my surroundings. I was on a hill under a large oak. From the top, I could see the entire village, and it was a beautiful sight. I leaned my back against the tree's trunk, closing my eyes and allowing the tears to fall.

"Why me?" I asked the tree, "Why is it bad things always happen around me?"

"Why so glum, kit-kat?" A familiar voice asked me.

I looked up to see none other than a redheaded fool sitting on a tree branch with his head cocked to the side. His green eyes flickered with concern as he hopped down to the base were I was.

"Yoshi..." I couldn't even finish his name with how badly my voice caught in my throat.

The tears began falling faster than before. My chest was tight, like someone was reaching in and trying to pull out my heart. It wasn't suppose to be like that. How could such little words from a dog hurt me so much now?

"All right," he came over and sat next to me, wrapping an arm around my waist, "it's okay, Miyu. Just let it out, then you can tell good ole' Yoshi what happened."

I curled up against his side and just balled my eyes out into his shoulder. Yoshimaru rested his head on top of my own, and whispered comforting words. His scent was also a comfort for me. Yoshimaru always seemed to appear when I needed him. Satoshi did, too, at times, but it was normally Yoshimaru.

I really needed someone right now, though.

* * *

He hated what he said to Nekoshima, and he hated himself even more when he caught the salty scent of tears as she left. He knew she ran from the thuds of footsteps. He was angry, but it wasn't at her. He was angry at his mother's hatred towards the Nekoshima clan. He earned himself a beating when he brought up Ayame's name, but now he knew the truth. Everything that Hikaru Nekoshima had told him was honest.

"Kiba, you're an idiot," Hinata glared at him.

She was angry enough to not stutter, which meant he had hell to pay. It was rare to see Hinata mad since she was always such a kind-hearted soul. Normally, it was Nekoshima that was the one that would should her wrath to everyone who dared to lay a finger on the shy girl. That never meant that Hinata couldn't be angry, though. It was just rare, and now he was going to deal with it.

"Hinata, why don't you go after her?" Shino spoke now, "Go see if she's okay."

"You don't deserve her kindness," was all Hinata said to him before she ran to chase her friend.

"So," Kurenai crossed her arms, "now that they're gone. What happened to make you react that way?"

Kiba sighed heavily, knowing he wouldn't be able to escape easily, "My mom caught Nekoshima's scent on me, and demanded why. I told her that I sparred against Nekoshima, which wasn't a complete lie. I brought up a name from my mom's past, and she decided to teach me to never say that name to her again."

"Do you really hate Miyu, Kiba?" Kurenai frowned as she asked a simple question that was always hard to answer.

"I don't think so..."

"Well, she's not going to come back to our training," Shino announced, a dragonfly resting on his index finger.

"Then I'll have to persuade her to finish her training with me at a different time than our regular schedule," Kurenai sighed, running a hand through her black hair, "and then we'll see how the Chūnin Exams go."

"We only have four more days, right?"

"Yeah, we do. So, we need as much training time as possible."

Kiba kept quiet.

He didn't know what to say anymore, and he didn't want to say anything. He hurt her feelings enough to where she wasn't going to return to training? He remembered when he scared her bad enough to where she would be absent for a few days at the academy, but she always came back. It would turn out the same, right?

He leaned against the wooden stump, watching but not really paying attention to his teammate and sensei go over training. He remembered the threats he made towards her, pulling her hair, tearing up her drawings, torturing her demon cat, and nearly hitting her with a shuriken on multiple occassions. What he remembers most, though, was that she never tried to hurt him or start with him except when he was badmouthing her teacher, but he would have reacted the same way. He was always the one to start.

_I really put that girl through hell, didn't I? _Kiba thought to himself, looking down at his hands in his pockets. Akamaru whined, but it was just background noise to him right now. _All these years... Even when she was being a cocky smart-alec, she never tried to hit me. She's been kind even when I've been a jerk. Why did I do all those things to her? _Kiba remembered the looked in her eyes when she forced him to look at her a few moments ago, it looked like she was about to break down and kill someone at the same time. There was also a sense of distance in her eyes, like she was remembering a memory. _Why do I always put her in pain?_

Shino stepped in front of him, causing Kiba to look at his friend, "You like her, don't you?"

"I can't like her," Kiba tried to explain, but he couldn't even explain his emotions to himself, "but I don't think I hate her like I thought I did in the past. My mom wanted me to torture her in every way possible... I don't know what it is. I don't want to hurt her, but I've grown up to think of her as though she were the devil herself..."

"You really are an idiot, Kiba." Shino said with an odd tone that he never heard from his teammate, "You don't want to hurt her, yet, you let your mother manipulate you."

"Shino-"

"No," he interrupted, "if you care about her, then stop acting this way and try protecting her as much as possible. That's what she does for you. Be a man for once instead of a boy."

There was a long silence afterwards before Kurenai called the both of them, "Let's get this training over with before the exams. We need to get a lot done!"

The two over them went over to their sensei, and obeyed her instructions. They did as much as they could before Hinata arrived again.

Nekoshima was nowhere to be seen.

The female teammate avoided and ignored Kiba for the rest of the day, but he didn't really care too much. His mind was focused on one thing, and only one thing, at the moment.

_Her._


	9. Incoming: The Sensei

It had been about four days since I had been with Team Eight. During the morning before or the afternoon after their training, Kurenai had been helping me work on my genjutsu. Hinata started waking up earlier to bring me breakfast or she'd stay afterwards to walk home with me. In the end, we spent time together each day up until the day of the Chūnin Exams, which happened to be today.

I was walking with my own teammates to our usual meeting spot which was at a lake in one of the less popular parks in Konoha. We would normally sit around under the big willow tree to wait for our sensei, but she was absent from our party due to her mission.

Actually, the reason we went was for a confidence boost. Yoshimaru and I sat at the base of the willow tree while Satoshi skipped stones over the lake. I watched absentmindedly at my darker teammate frustrated tosses, which made most of the stones sink into the deep waters.

Yoshimaru nudged my arm with his elbow and grinned, "So, Miyu, how's your training with Kurenai-sensei been going?"

"Eh," I replied, shrugging one shoulder, "it's been pretty decent. Chi and I feel powered up. Right, girly?"

"_Yep!_" Chi hopped from my lap to Yoshimaru's, putting her paws on his chest to stretch up and nuzzle his jaw.

"That's great to hear," Yoshimaru stroked Chi's fur, causing her to purr happily.

"How 'bout you and Asuma-sensei's team?"

Yoshimaru gave an irritated groan, "Ino kept talking nonstop about Sasuke, Shikamaru fell asleep during one of our spars, and Choji would pause in the middle of our spar to eat his chips. When it came down to Ino and I sparring yesterday, she failed at hitting me with that Mind Transfer of hers and went unconscious for a few moments, giving me the opportunity to tie her to a tree. She was _ticked_ when she woke up."

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of Yoshimaru tying Ino to a tree, "You should've taken a picture for me."

"I did," he chuckled, "but it's at home. I'll show you when we get through this exam, 'kay?"

"Promise?" I held my pinkie finger to my red-haired teammate with my bottom lip sticking out.

"Promise, promise," he hooked his own pinkie with mine.

"Good," I grinned. "So, Sato, how did Guy-sensei's team go?"

When I looked over to our darker member of the team, you could practically see the dark clouds hovering over his head. He turned his head to look at me, and there were dark bags under his gray eyes. He looked exhausted but also extremely ticked off.

"I swear," his voice was slightly hoarse as if he'd been yelling too much, "that if I ever see that man again... I _will_ kill him."

"That bad, eh?" I sweat dropped at my friend's sudden want to kill.

"_Bad_?" He started to rant, "It was _horrible!_ Do you _know_ what that whack job made me do? I had to run lap after lap after lap around the village because my alarm didn't go off! Then Neji nearly broke my arm when I said his Byakugan must be going screwy on him when he miscounted a flock of birds. TenTen cut me up with those weapons! I swear, she's going to be one sadistic woman when she's older! Lee and Guy-sensei kept going _on _and _on_ about how a youthful person should eat and train."

Yoshimaru and I bit our lips to hold our laughter back so Satoshi wouldn't kill us. I couldn't do anything to suppress my shoulders from shaking at the contained laughter. Satoshi sent me a resentful glare. I held my hands up in defense.

"Miyu, Satoshi, Yoshimaru!" I heard the strangely familiar voice shout our names, but I couldn't believe who it was as I turned to see, "I'm home, my beloved students!"

A woman in her late twenties came running over to us with one hand flailing in the air as a wave and the other cupped at the side of her mouth. She had short hair that was white as snow and was jagged, giving her a werewolf look, but her bangs were a light periwinkle color and curved around her pale face. Her eyes were the same shade of purple as her bangs. She had a Jōnin vest with a white tank top underneath, and she wore light gray pants. She had black ninja heels instead of sandals. Her forehead protector was tied tightly around her left arm parallel to white bandages on her right bicep.

By the time she got to our trio, she was panting with her hands on her knees. The three of us sweat dropped at our sensei. Yoshimaru and I stood up with the boy holding Chi in his arm like a toddler. Satoshi had walked to my side opposite of Yoshimaru, putting me in the middle and making me feel _so_ short.

"Oh, how have... you all... be-"

I grabbed my sensei by her collar, bringing her down to my height (she was about five inches taller than me), "What was the big idea of putting me on the same team with that dang dog, sensei?! I mean, you should've known that it would've gone terribly!"

The woman sweat dropped as she smiled nervously at me, "S-So you didn't get along very well with Kiba?"

I released my sensei, "Misaki-sensei, it just made things worse than they already are!"

"You two probably just had another one of your hissy fits," Misaki waved her hand as though it weren't a big deal.

I lunged at her, but an arm snaked around my waist prevented me from being able to grab the woman. I struggled against the unknown force, though, it was probably just one of my teammates, "Lemme go!"

"Woman, if you don't stop," I heard Satoshi's voice struggle against my back, "_I'll_ tie you to a tree!"

I squeaked, stopping my struggling against my teammate and pouting, "Whatever."

His arm lingered around my waist and his forehead fell to my shoulder, "Thank goodness."

_Poor boy, _I thought to myself, _Guy-sensei really made him work this week._

"So," Misaki clapped her hands together as Satoshi released me, "how have you all been?"

All three of us glared at her, but Yoshimaru was the first to answer, "Bored."

"Annoyed and exhausted," Satoshi replied second.

I crossed my arms, giving her an icy glare which made her shiver, "Ikari."

Now it was my turn to be stared at, but I watched my sensei as her expression shifted from relieved to wide-eyed shock, "I-I-Ikari?"

"I had to spar against Inuzuka," I began, "and Akamaru hurt Chi. I bristled about it and bit the boy out of anger. Apparently, his blood triggers the shifting as well, sensei."

"Why didn't you tell _us_?" Yoshimaru and Satoshi shouted from behind me, but I ignored them.

"That's interesting..." Misaki tapped her chin with her index finger in a thoughtful position.

"Oh, and sensei?"

"Yes?"

I pulled her into a tight hug, which I knew surprised her, but she returned the embrace after a moment, "I'm glad that you're home safe and sound. I've been worried about you."

"Thank you, Miyu."

"Aw..." I heard the boys say.

"Shut _up_!" Misaki and I yelled at them in unison then laughed about it.

"_You'd think they're related or something..._" Yoshimaru muttered, sideways glancing at us.

Satoshi whispered back, "_No kidding._"

I linked my arms with my two idiots, "All right, boys, shall we go?"

"Go?" They looked at me curiously.

"The exams are still going to happen whether Misaki-sensei is here or not. Do you want to miss your chances at being Chūnins?"

"No, ma'am!"

"I'll treat you guys to either Ichiraku or the Beef House if you pass!" Misaki grinned as she waved us off, "Good luck! Remember everything that me and your temporary sensei have taught you!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" The three of us called as we walked arm in arm in arm towards the academy building.

* * *

"I don't remember the academy having this many stairs," I whined loudly to my teammates, who were jogging up the flights with ease.

"This is what you get for drinking all that soda, Miyu," Yoshimaru grinned at me.

"Yeah, it's making you slow down and become lazy," Satoshi agreed.

I puffed out my cheeks at them and planted my butt on the step I was on, "Hmph!"

I heard sighs behind me as they jogged back down to my level, resting both their heads on each of my shoulders. Yoshimaru was the first to speak, "Oh, you know we love you, Miyu. So, stop pouting."

"Hmph!"

Satoshi's turn, "How about I get you a can of Cola when we're done? It'll be my treat."

"Hm..." I tapped my chin, "Tempting, tempting."

"Ugh," Yoshimaru's vein popped out in slight irritation, "it's like dealing with my sister, I swear."

"C'mon, Miyu," Satoshi begged. "What can we do to motivate you?"

I held my pinkies out to the both of them, "Promise that no matter what we go through, we _will not_ give up on each other. We _will_ stand as a team, agree as a team. We _will_ to get through this together."

Without any hesitation, the boys hooked their pinkies with mine, "We promise."

"Good," I jumped to my feet just as they stood up. I grinned to the both of them, "I can continue now."

"I think she planned this," Satoshi looked at Yoshimaru.

"Probably," he agreed.

* * *

We continued walking up the stairs until we got to the second floor. I noticed a crowd of people gathering in a half-circle around a particular room, which I believed was odd since the crowd was all genin. I grabbed the back of Yoshimaru's and Satoshi's shirts to get their attention before they went up the next flight of stairs. They turned back to look at me, puzzlement in their eyes. I simply pointed to the crowd. They nodded. We paused our destination course and headed over just in time to see a boy in a green jumpsuit get punched to the ground as a girl with bonbons in her hair ran over to him.

"You're taking the Chūnin Exams," one of the two boys that were standing in front of the room marked as 301 told them, "but you can't get passed _us_?"

The other boy, one that wore his forehead protector as a type of bandana for his head, spoke next, "Why don't you give up now before you get hurt?"

"Yeah," the first boy had bandages on his cheeks and chin, but his nose was slightly redder than his skin tone, "I think I hear your mommy calling ya'."

"Please, let us through," the girl, next to the boy in the green jumpsuit, begged them with pleading brown eyes. "We're suppose to go in there."

She stood to her feet only to get a punch to the face that set her right next to the boy. The crowd murmured, but they did nothing about it. I had enough. It was my turn to try knocking some sense into their thick skulls.

I started going over there until Satoshi's arm snaked around me again as he whispered in my ear, "_Calm down, leopardess._"

"Did you say _harsh_?" The nasal boy looked at the crowd, "Don't kid yourself. We're being nice by comparison. The exams are going to make this look like a _picnic_."

"Some of you won't survive the exam," nasal boy's partner, hat boy, added, "others will be wrecked for life, and some of you may go crazy. For Chūnin, it's always life and death."

Nasal boy spoke up again after his partner, "You think it's a joke? Chūnin are qualified to _lead_ missions. The lives of your squad members are in your hands, so you better be tough enough to take the heat." His gaze traveled back to the bonbon girl, "Delicate little girls don't belong here." He sniffed as if his nose was runny.

"We're just thinnin' out the herd," hat boy explained. "You won't pass anyway, so go home and play with your dolls."

I turned to Satoshi, "Can I play now?"

"By all means," he released me with a grin.

The crowd turned towards me, staring at the strange new girl.

Within a flash, I had hat boy by his collar, "So, who're you calling delicate, pretty boy?"

The metal of my bells bounced against my ankles.

Chi hissed at the boy from my shoulder, folding her ears back and taunting him with strikes that barely missed his face. Had she been trying to hit him, she would've torn his face up in a heartbeat.

"Hey!" He was obviously surprised, but he recovered quickly and started to struggle, "Lemme go!"

His partner lifted his fist to punch me the same way he did to the bonbon girl, but I grabbed it with my free hand before he had the chance, "You boys have been very naughty. You won't be getting any presents this year." I sank my nails into his fist, making nasal boy wince, as I lifted the hatter off the ground, "You've been fooling these kiddies, which isn't very nice. Release your little trick so that we can head to the exams on the _third_ floor before I sent this boy flying out the window."

"Third floor?" One person in the crowd said, "But we're _on_ the third floor."

"I know," another crowd member replied.

"Well, well," nasal boy frowned at being caught.

"So, you noticed the genjutsu, huh?" The hatter also frowned as he continued to struggle against my grip.

"Silly boys," I smiled coldly as Chi growled, "I'm not stupid. This is only the second floor." I turned to the familiar popular boy and the pink-haired girl amongst the crowd, knowing he, too, figured out the little scam, "Isn't that right, Sasuke? Sakura?"

"Right," he replied. He looked over his shoulder to his teammate, "Go ahead. Tell them, Sakura. I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did."

"Huh?" She looked confused.

I rolled my eyes, frowning at my old friend. _Stupid Sasuke, I noticed it first. You're just trying to get your team to take the dang credit. You turned into such a butt since you got on that team.  
_

Sasuke turned his attention back to the guards even though he continued speaking to the girl, "You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad. You must have seen this coming a mile away."

"I must have...?" She was still confused. I swear if I wasn't holding the guards, I would have either face-palmed or beaten the crap out of her _myself_. It seemed like she caught on because she smiled and spoke, "Well, sure. _Of course_. Sure, I spotted it right away."

_Idiot._ I rolled my eyes again.

"Right," Naruto, the blond of the team, agreed, but he probably had no idea of what was going on.

Nasal boy released the genjutsu, proving that we were only on the second floor like I said, "Huh, well, aren't we the smart ones? So, you noticed an illusion." He yanked his fist out of my grip, "Now let's see you deal with this!"

Nasal boy went to kick Sasuke, and the Uchiha went to counter the sudden attack with another kick. Within seconds, and using the same speed I had, the green jumpsuit boy with a bowl cut and bushy eyebrows appeared between the two of them. He held nasal boy's ankle in his right hand and Sasuke's in his left.

_Dang... He's fast._ I dropped the hatter on his butt. _To think that he was getting beaten up a second ago, then to show up with this? He might be the type to only wait until someone else is getting in a fight so he could break it up... He's as fast as me. _I noticed Sasuke staring at the boy's hand in wonder that could've been taken as a glare.

"_Miyu-chan,_" Chi mewled, "_did you see that boy?_"

I simply nodded.

"Hey," a boy with the same eyes as Hinata walked up to jumpsuit boy with that bonbon chick; he looked strangely familiar, and he had to be a Hyuuga. He didn't seem very happy, though, as he looked at the boy in green, "What happened to the plan? I thought you were the one who said to keep a low profile and don't let anyone see our skill level."

"I know," the boy looked away from the Hyuuga, "but..."

"Nevermind," the bonbon girl sighed. "It's over. Forget it."

"Yo', TenTen," Satoshi grinned, waving his hand, "you okay?"

Bonbon girl looked at Satoshi with the same surprised expression as I did, "Satoshi? You're taking the Chūnin Exams, too?"

"Yep. My sensei just got back in town, too, so our team's back together."

"Really?"

"Sato," I gave a tone of stating the obvious, and Chi didn't help with her growling, "you know this girl?"

"She's part of Guy-sensei's team," Satoshi explained. "This is TenTen. She's the weapon specialist. TenTen, this is my teammate, Miyu Nekoshima."

"Miyu?" She looked at me and smiled, "I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to see the real thing compared to a picture." The girl laughed, "Thanks for helping out back there, too. Satoshi wasn't kidding when he said you had strength."

I turned to my teammate, "Oh, so you've been talking about me, eh, Sato?"

"Wel-"

Satoshi was cut off by the jumpsuit boy talking to Sakura, "My name is Rock Lee. You are Sakura, right?"

As I watched them, I had a _Tarzan_ moment.

_I am Tarzan, you are Jane, _I thought to myself with a smile.

From the look on Satoshi's face, he was thinking the same thing. Yoshimaru, too. Chi snickered before she crawled back into my hood.

"Huh?" Sakura had that blank expression again.

I watched as the jumpsuit kid, Rock Lee, winked and gave Sakura the thumbs-up, "Please be my girlfriend. I vow to protect you with my life." There was a shine on his pearly white teeth afterwards.

Sakura looked like she was going to be sick. I couldn't help but chuckle at her expression. Yoshimaru tried his best to muffle my laughter by covering my mouth with both his hands.

"Th-That's not nice, Miyu," he said, even though he was trying to contain his own burst of laughs.

"Definitely," Sakura said, "not."

Rock Lee gave the most pitiful expression at being shot down so easily, "Huh...? Why?"

"Because you're a weirdo," she said flatly.

My giggles faded away. Lee hung his head in disappointment as Naruto laughed. I went over and punched him in the face. The kid flew into the nearest wall, but he stopped laughing.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

I crossed my arms, "It's not nice to laugh at him."

Yoshimaru sweat dropped as I heard him mutter, "_But you were just laughing at the kid yourself a few seconds ago..._"

Naruto pouted, "Hmph!"

"Hey, you," an extremely familiar voice caught my attention. I turned to find the Hyuuga boy walking up to Sasuke, "What's your name?"

Naruto looked like he wanted to kill Sasuke out of jealousy. I smiled at that. Their rivalry reminded me of the one between my own male teammates. It was amusing to a certain degree until you're in the middle of a mission when they decide to start bickering like a married couple.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's," Sasuke replied smoothly.

"Hey, you're a rookie, aren't you?" The Hyuuga seemed slightly irritated with the response, "How old are you, anyway?"

"I'm not obliged to answer."

The Hyuuga's face scrunched up in more irritation, "What's that?"

The bonbon girl, TenTen, giggled.

Sasuke turned and walked away, but he stopped as I saw Naruto and Lee leaning against the wall for support.

Lee's tone was gloomy, "A weirdo...?"

"No one wants to know my name," Naruto complained.

"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke." Sakura perked up, "C'mon, let's go."

I turned away as the three idiots left. A hand went to my shoulder, and when I looked to see who it was, it was just Yoshimaru.

"What's wrong, kit-kat?"

"Bah, I can't _stand_ her," I replied, looking at the depressive Rock Lee. "She's all about herself and her obsession with that Uchiha. That pinkette is really going to tick me off one of these days, and it might be one where no one can hold me back."

"She_ can_ be annoying at times," Yoshimaru agreed.

I shrugged off his hand and went over to the boy in the green jumpsuit, "Yo', Lee, right?"

He looked at me with sad, dark eyes as he curled up against the wall, "Y-Yeah. I am Rock Lee, and you are?"

I bowed to my waist, "My name is Miyu Nekoshima." I returned to my full height and smiled down at the boy, "It's very nice to meet you, Rock Lee."

He seemed mesmerized, "You have very pretty eyes..."

I held my hand out to him, "Thank you. You're quite attractive yourself."

He took my hand, and I pulled him to his feet. I patted the strange boy's head as he blushed, "No, I'm just a _weirdo_."

"Don't listen to her." I flicked his nose, causing him to yelp, "She doesn't know you well enough to judge you. I bet you're a sweetheart that stays true to his word."

The boy grinned, seeming to have been cheered up, "Th-Thank you, Nekoshima-san."

"Miyu," I corrected. "My father taught me when I was young that there are no formalities between friends."

He nodded, "Miyu."

"Oh, and one more thing."

He looked at me curiously.

I stood on my toes and pecked his cheek, "It's just a confidence boost. Don't get too happy 'bout it, Lee."

The boy was stunned beyond compare to where he looked like he was frozen in time, but his face started to grow a nice shade of red. I turned my back to him to see that TenTen and the Hyuuga were staring at me as though I were some kind of new species.

I asked the normal question that would appear in this situation: "What?"

"How can you think _that_ is attractive?" The Hyuuga asked, rather rudely.

I smiled and quoted one of my mother's favorite sayings, "'_Look past the outside so that you can see the true heart within. The person may not be attractive to the average human, but there's always someone born with special eyes that see past the flaws that those humans obsess over._'"

The boy sweat dropped, "No wonder you're friends with _Hinata_."

"Hinata...?" I looked the boy over curiously for a moment before the name hit me like a brick, "Neji Hyuuga! That's right, I remember now!"

"Idiot..." Neji seemed to sweat drop even more, "How is it that you always forget my name, even when you talk to me while you wait for Hinata?"

"You're rude," I said flatly, "and you look down on people as if they are nothing more than ants for you to squish. I don't need to remember the name of someone that I don't really care for."

"What did you say?" His face scrunched in irritation again.

"I'm just saying the truth," I practically sang, shrugging with my palms out. "You were just calling me strange for thinking your teammate was attractive, and you just called me an idiot while have yet to insult you." I smiled, "Other than forgetting your name, of course."

"_Of course_..."

"Miyu," Yoshimaru called, forcing my attention to him and Satoshi standing at the stairs again, "let's hurry up to the room before we're late."

"'Kay, Yoshi!" I turned back to Neji, "Good luck, brainiac."

I jogged away before Neji could try and kill me. I had a feeling that he was giving me the death glare, though. I followed my teammates through the door and up another flight of stairs.

Man, I was really starting to hate this academy for its stairs...


	10. Satoshi's Promise

Satoshi had fallen towards the back of the group when Miyu jogged to the front. He smiled at the rambunctious girl he had practically known all his life. He had met her through his mother being an old teammate of her father, and Miyu reminded him of her father from the stories he's heard. Miyu also brought him to her little garden with Hinata a few times, but she claimed that it was mainly for the two girls and that he was only allowed when someone brought him with.

Satoshi smiled at the memory of little Miyu thinking she was all big and bad.

"Hey, you," a familiar voice called, but it wasn't towards him, "with the attitude. _Hold on._"

Satoshi muttered the name under his breath with annoyance, "Rock Lee..."

He noticed that Miyu had stopped to observe the situation as well, holding the third member of their party by his shirt. Yoshimaru followed her gaze to Rock Lee, who was standing at a balcony above Kakashi's team. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all turned to look up at Lee.

"Sato," Miyu had that obvious tone in her voice again, "your friend over there is going to get himself in another fight."

"He's always like that," another person added themselves to the conversation, the speaker being female.

The three of them turned to see TenTen and Neji entering the room. Neji had his arms crossed as TenTen walked with her hands behind her back. Neji was always scowling, and TenTen was smiling like usual.

"It's best to just let him learn from his own mistakes," Neji shrugged.

Satoshi heard Miyu's warning growl and immediately went to her side to hold her back if needed to. Her voice dripped with deadly venom, "So, you're willing to let your own teammate harm himself just to learn a lesson? What if he was in a life or death situation, would you just let him go in alone?"

Neji said nothing. Satoshi had told him about Miyu's temper when it came to teammates, and he was glad that Neji took his advice instead of trying to push things farther.

TenTen's smile faded, and her eyes fell to the ground, "Lee has always been this way, like I said. He use to get picked on a lot when we were in the academy because he lacked in ninjutsu and genjutsu. People laughed when he said he was going to become the strongest by just using taijutsu."

They heard Sasuke's voice, and the five of them turned back to the group, "What do you want?"

"I want to fight," Lee replied, "right here and right now."

"I told you so, Sato," Miyu crossed her arms with a smug little smile.

He raised a slightly annoyed eyebrow at her, "I doubt this is the time for that, Miyu."

_Why does he have to remind me so much of her?_ Satoshi thought with an irritated groan. He thought back to the night she had appeared at his house when they were kids.

It had been raining all day that day, but she had been shaking on his doorstep for a completely different reason.

_They were only about six years old at the time. She had ran from her compound all the way to his apartment in the pouring rain around six o'clock in the evening. He stood next to his mother as she opened the door to reveal Miyu crying at their doorstep. The small girl was covered in bruises and scrapes. It wasn't the kind you received from falling or training either._

_Someone had really beaten the poor girl up._

_She stuttered his name, "Sa... Satoshi...?" _

_Instinctively, he brought the dripping girl into his apartment as his mother ran to get towels and the First-Aid kit, "Miyu-chan, what happened?"_

_He led her to the couch in his living room and sat next to the crying girl as she leaned against him for support, "M-My clan... They caught me without my Mama or my Papa because they went out to dinner. A group came into the house, and they beat me. I ran away when I had the chance, but I can't go back there without Mama and Papa." The girl was balling now, hiding her face against his chest, "One of them said, 'Kill the demon girl before she gets the chance to kill us!' I'm not a demon, am I, Satoshi?"_

_Satoshi wrapped his arms around her, trying to give her comfort, "No, you're not, Miyu-chan."_

_Satoshi noticed his mother had returned to the room, but she was standing in the doorway in shock, "It was your own clan that did this to you?"_

_Miyu looked at her, wiping her eyes ferociously, "Y-Yes, Auntie."_

_"Oh, you poor baby girl," Satoshi watched as his mother came running over to Miyu, pulling her into a hug. "You can stay here tonight. I'll call your father, okay?"_

_Miyu clung to her shirt, "Don't tell him what happened, please don't! Tell him that I got scared from the thunder and ran here. Just don't tell him what happened!"_

_"Why not?" Mother asked, looking completely puzzled at the girl's reaction._

_The tears spilled over her eyes again, "Th-They said that if Papa or Mama ever found out about what's been happening, then they'd kill me for sure! Please, just don't tell them, Auntie Sachiko!"_

_"All right, sweetheart," Mother sighed, but she understood the girl's fear, "I won't tell them."_

_"Promise me," Miyu held her pinkie out to his mother._

_"I promise," Mother hooked her pinkie with Miyu._

_Miyu turned to Satoshi with her pinkie now, and he pinkie promised her without a word said. They slept in Satoshi's bed that night because Miyu wouldn't leave his side at all other than to let him change or go to the bathroom and because of the thunder booming outside. He felt like an older brother with her following him, but he let her do as she pleased._

_Satoshi placed a gentle hand on her arm as she was starting to fall asleep, "Miyu?"_

_"Yes, Satoshi?" Her eyes were a deep sapphire from all the tears, and they were puffy, too. She plastered on a small smile to reassure him that she was okay._

_"If this ever happens again," he told her, "come straight to me. You can always stay with me for awhile, and I'll do my best to protect you. I give you my word."_

_She nodded and snuggled against him, "Thank you, Sato."_

* * *

"Hey, Sato," Miyu tugged Satoshi's shirt, bringing him back to the present to see Rock Lee on the ground with with a long white bandage pinned to the wall by a pinwheel and Sasuke falling, "there's a turtle."

"A... what?" Satoshi thought the girl was hallucinating until his followed the direction her finger was pointing at, "Turtle?"

He saw Lee kneeling like a knight in front of a large, red turtle.

"Sasuke!" He heard Sakura's voice and watched as she ran towards the falling Uchiha, just barely catching him from a nasty fall.

Satoshi looked at Miyu in curiosity, "Did Sasuke lose?"

"Basically," Miyu nodded. "Had the turtle not shown up, Lee would've sent Duck-butt through the ground," she shrugged. "That's what he gets for being so cocky about being an Uchiha. He needs to learn that there _are_ people in the world that are stronger than him."

Satoshi smiled, "Like you?"

That earned him a toothy grin, "Heck yeah." She looked back at the Uchiha kid and pointed, "He's shaking, and he's going to have a beautiful bruise on his cheek."

"You would be able to see that, Miyu," Yoshimaru included himself into the conversation. "In all honesty, you have the better analytical skills and eyes than Sakura. Sasuke's just jealous that we got the better girl."

"Of course!" The turtle started scolding Lee, causing Miyu to sweat drop at it, "That last technique is forbidden, you know that!"

"He's talking to a turtle..." Miyu face-palmed, "The kid really is a weirdo. Not only that, but the turtle is talking back... in the human language."

"It's no different from when you talk to Chi," Satoshi shrugged. Nothing surprised him after being friends and on a team with Miyu, Yoshimaru, and Misaki-sensei for so long. They were all strange in their own way, but that didn't mean that he was exactly _normal_ either.

"Yes," she agreed then looked at him, "but_ Chi _doesn't speak_ human!_"

"Miyu," Yoshimaru caught her attention, "he's apologizing to the turtle now."

"Sato," Miyu looked at him worriedly, "that's not the sensei, is it?"

"No, no," Satoshi could help his laughter, but he understood her confusion, "Guy-sensei is an actual _guy_. A human guy. Don't worry."

"Okay, good," she shook her head, "but that doesn't explain the turtle."

The five of them watched as Lee flailed aimlessly, trying to explain to the turtle what was going on. Neji and TenTen had silenced themselves, which was oddly strange for Neji and his snarky comments. Misaki's team, Team Eleven, watched from the balcony. Miyu had crossed her arms on the balcony and rested her head on her forearms. Yoshimaru stood straight, watching in amusement. Satoshi leaned his lower back against the balcony and watched.

"I'm right," Naruto stood up from his spot where Lee had sent him flying into the wall, "it really _is_ his sensei."

Sasuke and Sakura stared at Naruto blankly, "Huh?"

"Idiots," Neji finally said.

TenTen giggled next to him.

Miyu didn't bother to turn around and look at him as she said, "You're the one letting him take the blame instead of catching him before he got in trouble."

"Brat," Neji replied.

"Rude."

"Hey, guys!" Naruto ran over to his teammates, "That weird thing he's talking to is a turtle, right?"

Miyu slammed her head against the balcony. Satoshi and Yoshimaru laughed. She looked at Naruto with a red mark on her forehead, "How much more of an idiot can the kid be?!"

Sakura must've been thinking the same thing because she shouted at Naruto, "Obviously! What'd you think it is?!"

"_Okay then_, so maybe it means that _turtles_ can be sensei, too," Naruto said, pointing at Lee and the turtle the entire time.

Sakura looked like she wanted to beat the crap out of Naruto, "How should I know if they can be sensei, too?!"

Sasuke just sat there, looking like he was on a stake-out as he watched the turtle and Lee.

"You're a disgrace," the turtle declared. "You think you'll get away with a bunch of lame excuses like that? A shinobi never reveals his techniques unless it's absolutely necessary. It's such a basic rule that you should know it by now!"

Miyu stood straight up, her brunette bangs shadowing her eyes. She place her hands on the balcony, looking like she was about to jump over. Instantly, Satoshi grabbed her by her waist again, holding her back. She struggled as Yoshimaru went in front of her to block her in case she escaped.

"Let me at that dang beast," Miyu hissed as she struggled. "I'll turn it into turtle soup and feed the Land of Waves with it!"

"Calm down, woman," Satoshi tightened his grip around her so that she wouldn't get free.

_Miyu, you've always gotta' play the hero, don't you?_

"Please forgive me, sir," Lee bowed his head to the turtle.

The turtle didn't waver or show any emotion, "Are you prepared to take the punishment for your actions?"

Lee looked even more glum, "I... Yes, sir."

"All right then." The turtle shouted, "Please come out, _Guy-sensei_!"

There was a puff of smoke above the turtle's shell as though a smoke bomb had been tossed. Miyu stopped struggling so she could see what was happening. Satoshi felt arms loop through his to hold _him_ back. He hadn't even realized that _he_ was now the one struggling. Miyu was in front of him, so it had to be Yoshimaru holding him back from behind.

The roles had been swapped without him realizing.

The smoke cleared to reveal a man that looked like an older version of Lee with a Jōnin vest. The man was in an odd pose, but that was normal for Guy-sensei. TenTen face-palmed, bringing Team Eleven's attention to see their reaction. TenTen's face was hiding in her right palm, and Neji's face was scrunched in irritation yet again. These two seemed to have disliked Guy as much as Satoshi, himself.

"Heeey, everybody!" The man stole the attention again, "What's shakin'? How you doin', everybody? Life treatin' ya' good?"

Miyu finally got a good look at the guy and fell to the ground. Satoshi knelt down to her side, just barely able to hear her speak under her breath, "He's an over-sized Lee..." Her eyes were nearly bulging out of her head, "Two giant, black caterpillars on his face..."

Satoshi couldn't contain his laughter at her expression. He looked to Yoshimaru to see the same thing.

"Hey," Lee shouted, "do _not_ insult, Guy-sensei! He's one of the greatest men in the entire world!"

"Well, excuse me for not noticing his greatness," Naruto shouted back, "I was too busy watching him crawl out from underneath _a turtle_!"

"He did not _crawl _out!"

Team Eleven burst out laughing at the feud going on between Lee and Naruto. They were so similar in a way. Neji and TenTen just shook their heads, whether it have been at Naruto and Lee or them, they'd never know.

"Give it a rest, Lee," Satoshi watched Guy waved off the kid's aggravation as though it weren't a big deal.

"Yes, sir..."

The man flexed his hand, "Now for your punishment!" Satoshi covered Miyu's eyes as Guy pulled back his fist and punched Lee in the face, "You little fool!"

"Sato?" Miyu tried pulling his hands off her eyes, "Sato, what happened?"

Satoshi sweat dropped nervously, "Nothing, Miyu."

Lee flew a good few feet away before landing on his stomach. Satoshi looked at Yoshimaru, who was in complete shock at what just happened. TenTen just sighed. Satoshi watched as Guy walked over to Lee and knelt beside the kid.

"I'm sorry, Lee," Guy said as Lee got to his knees, "but it's for your own good."

"Se-sensei," Lee stuttered.

They were both crying, and Satoshi got a sudden thought of Lee being possibly gay. He shook the thought away, knowing that Miyu would kill him if she could hear his thoughts. The girl was known for good hearing.

"I think we should probably head to the registration room, Satoshi," Yoshimaru put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah," he replied, allowing Miyu to see again, "probably. Are you ready to go, Miyu?"

Miyu whined, "But...But I wanted to see!"

Satoshi shook his head, "Trust me, you did _not_ want to see that. You would've been even more disturbed..."

"Fine." She looked over at Neji with an icy glare, "By the way, you're attitude sickens me."

Neji looked ticked off, "What was that?"

Miyu jumped on Yoshimaru's back and said that she was too lazy to walk now, so he carried her out of the room before Neji could call her back. Satoshi was just about to follow them when a hand snaked his arm.

He looked to see that it was Neji, of course.

"Hey, Satoshi," Neji said, "what's with her?"

Satoshi knew he was talking about his female teammate and replied simply, "She's just trying to be the hero that she never had when kids would pick on her during her academy years."

He shook off Neji's hand and hurried up to follow his teammates, finding out that they were waiting for him just outside the door. Miyu's expression was a little gloomy, so when they passed a vending machine, Satoshi bought her a soda. Yoshimaru put her down so they could walk together as she guzzled down the drink.

"By the way, Sato," Miyu said as she tossed the empty can in a nearby waste basket, "I did have a hero during my academy years. Four, actually."

He looked at her curiously, "Hm?"

She looked up at him and smiled brightly, "You, Yoshi, Misaki-sensei, and Hinata."

He couldn't help but smile at the unique girl.


	11. The Boy In Glasses

We stopped in front of the door marked as 301 on the third floor of the academy. I looked to Yoshimaru on my right. He stared at me for a moment with those mossy eyes, then he nodded. I turned to Satoshi on my left. He, too, nodded.

With a deep breath, I kicked the door in and walked through to find all the Genin of all kinds of different villages staring at me. My eyes traveled to the different symbols: Leaf, Sand, Sound, Mist, Stone, Rain, Waterfall, Grass.

"Well," Satoshi crossed his arms, letting his eyes graze the crowd as well, "looks like this is going to be fun, eh, Yoshimaru?"

"Yep," the red-head grinned. "If anyone touches Miyu, then we'll just have to rip their throats out."

"Agreed."

I hung my head in embarrassment, "You idiots."

The doors opened again, bringing my attention to the newcomers. It was Kakashi's team, Team Seven. They took a nice look at the crowd as well, analyzing the competition. I could smell the fear coming off Sakura in waves despite her best efforts at trying to hide it. Sasuke's expression was no different than earlier with how his eyes had the tendency to instantly glare at whatever moved. The bruise that should've been forming had faded away quicker than expected. Then there was Naruto, the boy that was too stupid to know what fear was.

I returned to sniffing out my prey as my teammates looked around.

An feminine squeal stole my attention again to find Ino on Sasuke's back, "Sasuke, where've you been?!" The girl was blushing with her arms wrapped around Sasuke's neck in a girlfriend kind of way, "Boy, you have no idea how much I was hoping you'd show up here. I missed those brutey good-looks of yours."

Sakura looked extremely ticked off by Ino's affections towards Sasuke, which caused me to smile, "Hey, you porker! Back off, he's mine!"

Ino slid herself off Sasuke's back to retort at Sakura's outburst, "Miss Forehead, they let _you_ in? Still got those big frown lines on your billboard brow I see."

Sakura only got more irritated by that comment, "Leave my forehead out of it!"

The blond stuck her tongue out at Sakura. I couldn't help a small giggle from escaping me at how idiotic that were acting over a boy. An emotionless boy with a heart of stone I might add, who had no interest in either female. Sakura growled in frustration at her loss, but Sasuke made no attempt at pushing Ino away either.

"Oh, it's you guys," a familiar lazy tone appeared. Yoshimaru face-palmed and muttered a silent curse as Shikamaru continued speaking, "I knew this was going to be a drag, but I didn't know it was going to be _this_ lame."

Naruto walked over to them, "So, all three stooges are here."

Shikamaru seemed to have gotten a little irritable now, too, "Hey, you know what, pipsqueak?" He seemed to have changed his mind about what he was about to say, "Ah, forget it. You're a waste of time."

I went over to Choji, "Hiya', Choji. What'cha munchin' on?"

The larger of the three held out his bag to me, "Barbeque chips, of course."

"Of course," I repeated as I took a handful from the bag and munched.

I sat on the floor, leaning my back against the wall as I watched Ino and Sakura bicker again. My teammates decided to follow my example and sat on either side of me, picking at the chips in my hand. Chi sat between my arched legs.

"Sorry," Ino said to the pink-haired girl with a saucy smile, "but Sasuke's _all_ mine."

"Well, well," an extremely familiar voice appeared, causing me to hide my face behind Satoshi's shoulder. Chi growled at the person, knowing the situation that had come between us, "what do you know? It looks like the whole gang's back together again."

"Oh," a shy voice brought me out of my hiding just in time to see Inuzuka glance at me, "hi, Naruto-kun."

When the spikey-headed blond looked at my friend, she blushed and suddenly became interested in the floor. I face-palmed at her shyness. Satoshi and Yoshimaru just shook their heads. Akamaru watched me from his spot on top of Inuzuka's head. I barely heard his whine, but it was there.

It got Chi to stop hissing.

"You guys, too, huh?" Shikamaru had his hands in his pockets, slouching like the lazy boy he is, "Man, everyone's here for this stupid thing."

"Yeah," Inuzuka replied, "but here we all are. The Twelve Rookies." He barked a laugh, but I was surprised that he even acknowledged my existence, "This is gonna' be fun... At least, for those of us that are good enough to make the cut, right, Sasuke?"

"Kiba," Sasuke smiled at the dog boy, "careful you don't get over confident."

"Just wait," Inuzuka grinned, "we're gonna' blow you guys away. We've been training like crazy."

_No kidding. _I thought to myself, remembering my own training with Kurenai and the stories Hinata told me. _Kurenai is one tough cookie when it comes to training... Wait... Now I want a cookie._

I turned to Yoshimaru, tugging his shirt for attention.

When he looked at me, I spoke, "Yoshi, I want a cookie now."

He jerked his head back a little, giving me a funny look, "What?"

"I want a cookie," I repeated.

"Well," he smiled nervously with a sweat drop, "I don't have one on me."

"Okay," I said, a little disappointed.

I noticed Choji looking at Akamaru as though the dog were food. He took a step closer despite Akamaru's warning growl just to have Shino block his way.

Choji looked up at the taller boy, "What do you want?"

Shino said nothing, but he looked at the ground.

Choji's gaze followed, "What's wrong?"

I followed their gazes to find what looked like an ant making its way past Choji as Shino's deep voice caught the boys attention, "Thought maybe you hadn't seen it."

"Huh?"

Shino's glasses flashed with the fluorescent lighting of the room, "Didn't want you stepping on it."

"Why? You savin' it for lunch?"

I shook my head as I stood to my feet, "Enough, boys."

They both looked at me, but Choji spoke, "Why? He's the one eating bugs."

"Well," I crossed my arms, "how would you like it if a giant came over and stepped on you?"

"Point taken."

"Good," I turned to Shino, "and the next time I find a spider in my room, I'm squashing the dang thing."

I knew Shino was glaring at me from behind those dark glasses, "Don't you normally?"

I smiled innocently, "I made this one smell like lilacs."

"M-Miyu-chan!" A shy voice squeaked, "I'm s-so glad that you're he-here, too!"

I turned to see Hinata standing behind the Inuzuka. I brushed passed him without a word said and pulled Hinata into a tight hug, "Good afternoon, my lovely!" I grinned widely.

"G-Good afternoon," Hinata blushed out of embarrassment, but she returned the hug.

Chi hopped into Hinata's arms, purring and nuzzling her face, "_Hina-chan!_"

She smiled brightly at the feline.

* * *

Kiba couldn't help but glance at Nekoshima as she walked passed him to get to Hinata. His nose caught her scent mixed with what smelled like vanilla shampoo. Chi hissed at him as she passed, obviously bristled for what he said to the girl a few days ago. Akamaru whimpered at the cat, but she ignored him this time. Guilt sat in Kiba's stomach as he saw the two girls hug and smile at each other.

"Hey, you guys," Kiba heard footsteps coming closer and turned to see who it was, like everyone else, "you might want to try keeping it down a little. I mean, no offense, but you're the Twelve Rookies, right? Fresh out of the academy. I wouldn't go making a spectacle out of yourselves. Just cool it."

He had onyx eyes behind a pair of circular glasses and ash-grey hair kept in a ponytail that extended to his upper back with his bangs framing either side of his forehead. He wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar, a white under-shirt, fingerless gloves with armored plates on the back of the hand, a white cloth waistband worn at an angle, dark purple pants, blue sandals, and a shuriken holster on his right leg. He was wearing a Leaf Village forehead protector.

_Nerd._

"Oh, yeah?" Kiba turned to see Nekoshima with her hands on her hips, standing in front of Hinata, "And what makes you think you can tell us what to do with you being a genin yourself?"

"This isn't a class field trip," he said to the girl, despite her haughty attitude.

"Well, who asked you?" Ino intervened before Nekoshima could say anything, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kabuto Yakushi," the guy said with a smile, "but really, look around, you've made quite an impression."

All thirteen of them looked at the crowd only to receive glares from every single person in the room. They were looking at the Rookies like they were nothing more than pests, which Kiba could agree about some of them.

"See those guys," Kabuto explained, pointing to a group of three with umbrellas on their backs, "they're from the Rain Village. Very touchy, they all are. This exam makes everyone tense, and you don't want to rub them the wrong way right now."

"Nuh-uh," Sakura agreed, staring at the glaring Rain people.

"You can't help it." Kabuto smiled again, "I mean, how could you know how things work? You're just rookies. You remind me of myself awhile back."

"Kabuto," Sakura turned her attention to him, "is that your name?"

"Yeah."

Sakura went to speak again, but Nekoshima cut in, "This isn't your first participation in the exams, is it? How many times have you taken it?"

The guy sweat dropped, "No, it's my seventh time taking the exam, actually."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow in surprise, "Huh?"

"Well," Kabuto went into another explanation, "they're held twice a year, so this will be my fourth year."

"Wow, _veteran_," Sakura's eyes widened. "You must really be an expert by now."

Nekoshima mutter her own comment under her breath, "_Or be pretty stupid to have taken it six times before and still failed._"

Kiba snickered at that. Nekoshima gave him a funny look, but he shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

_Things are getting pretty awkward between us now... But that's not really surprising with how she thinks I hate her again._

Guilt bubbled in his stomach again.

"Yeah, sort of," Kabuto was completely oblivious to the girl's comment about his intelligence.

"Cool," Naruto grinned, "you can give us all the inside tips."

"Yeah," Shikamaru brought his own opinion into the conversation, "some expert. He's never passed."

Kabuto scratched his head nervously, "Well, seventh times the charm, that's what they say, uh?"

"Honey," Nekoshima gave him a look like he truly was an idiot, which Kiba didn't completely doubt at this point, "it's 'third times the charm', and you failed your third time _and_ your sixth."

"Ah, but seven is a lucky number."

"_I don't even think luck can save you by now_," Nekoshima muttered again, in her old smart-alec tone.

Shikamaru sweat dropped, "So, I guess all those rumors about the exam being tough are true... Oh, man, I knew this was going to be a drag."

"Hang on, don't give up hope yet." Kabuto reassured as he went to pull something out of his pocket. Kiba noticed Nekoshima moved her hand over her kunai holster strapped to her right thigh. "Maybe I can help you kids out a little," the guy pulled out orange cards, "with my Ninja Info Cards."

Sakura blurted out the obvious question, "What the heck are those?"

"It's hard to explain," Kabuto replied, "but these card have been chakra encoded with everything I've learned over the past for years."

As Kabuto knelt to the ground, Nekoshima raised her hand as if she were a student trying to answer a teacher's question.

Hinata turned to her friend, "Y-Yes, Miyu-chan?"

"Actually, " Nekoshima had a matter-of-fact tone in her voice, "they're quite easy to explain. Ninja Info Cards, or Ninja Information Cards, are a type of ninja tool where information can be burned on it by using chakra. The cards look blank to the naked eye with the kanji for 'shinobi' on the back, but when chakra is applied, various categories of data ranging from information about the Five Great Shinobi Countries to the ninja that inhabit them are displayed on the card, even in 3-D. However, only the person who originally burned the data onto the card is able to retrieve it."

"Very smart," Kabuto blinked at Nekoshima as though seeing her for the first time after he placed the deck of cards on the ground, "and quite correct. I've got more than two-hundred of them. So, you see, I haven't been _completely_ wasting my time."

Everyone watched as Kabuto placed his index finger at the center of the blank side of the card and started spinning it. Kiba understood that he was infusing his chakra with the card to reveal its secret.

"What are you doing?" Sakura was the one to ask as she watched him.

"You see," Kabuto explained, "I'm using my chakra to reveal their secrets, like the cat lady said."

Kiba smirked at the fact he used the right nickname, and he noticed Nekoshima looked at him. He turned his head to look at her, but she looked away quickly, avoiding him. The guilt that was bubbling in his stomach earlier began to eat away at him. He watched as she returned to glaring at Kabuto for his _cat lady_ remark.

"For example," Kabuto made a single-handed hand sign in front of his face. A small puff of smoke exploded from the card's surface. Once the smoke cleared, the card revealed a map of the Five Great Countries with green, 3-D bars on each country like a bar graph. There was village symbols at the bottom of the card.

"Awesome," Sakura stated, "a map... of what?"

Nekoshima looked at her like she was the stupidest person in the world along with Kabuto. Kiba couldn't help but smile a little.

Kabuto explained, "It shows the geographical distribution of all the candidates who have come to take the Chūnin Exams, what villages they come from, and how many have come from each village. Why do you guys think they all come here to take the exam together, at the same time?"

No one answered.

Kabuto answered his own question, "It's the foster friendship between nations, of course. International brotherhood and all that, and it's true enough as far as it goes."

"But there's another reason," Sasuke stated.

"Yeah," Kabuto agreed. "You see, the important thing is that this way they can carefully regulate the total number of shinobi that end up in each village, therefore, by maintaining the balance of power."

"Oh, yeah," Naruto had his arms crossed, pretending to know what they guy was talking about, "the balance of power."

"Balance of power, big deal," Shikamaru said, "it's all a drag."

Kiba watched as Nekoshima walked closer to the guy and get a better look at the card before she spoke, "You're missing a symbol."

Kabuto gave her a puzzled look, "Hm?"

"You're missing a symbol," she repeated and pointed at the card with her right index finger. "I've seen Stone symbols on some of these headbands, that's the one you're missing."

"Well," Kabuto gave her a nervous smile as he made the information disappear in another puff off smoke, "I didn't really collect much information about that one."

She raised a suspicious eyebrow at him, "Really now... After four years?"

"Anyway," Kabuto ignored her, "if the balance of power isn't maintained, one nation could wind-up with many more shinobi than its neighbors, and it might be tempted to attack them. So, they try to maintain the status quo. Makes sense, I suppose."

"Ugh," Kiba heard Nekoshima snort as she went back over to her teammates. He barely heard her whisper to them, "_I don't trust this guy. Not one bit. Don't let your guard down around him._"

"_Understood,_" Satoshi and Yoshimaru nodded their agreements. Obviously, Nekoshima was team leader when their sensei wasn't around.

* * *

_How dare he just brush my question aside like I didn't even ask it! _I crossed my arms and pouted as Sasuke had that _four-eyes_ look up information about other candidates, but the thing that really caught my attention was the last thing Kabuto said.

"...Including you guys, of course."

I glared at him, "Hold up, pretty boy. How do you have information about us even though you have no idea who we are other than the Rookies."

He simply smiled at me again, and no one knew how badly I wanted to slap that smile off his face, "Well, Miss Nekoshima, I know more about _you_ than you think." His eyes darkened for a moment, and I swore I felt a type of animosity in the air.

_What the hell is this guy talking about...? _I let my mind wander. _He couldn't know about the Nekoshima incident's truth. Only me, Chi, Uncle, and Satoshi know what happened that day. The newspapers reported it as a strange_ _fire_.

I couldn't shake the strange feeling burrowing itself in my gut as I watched this newcomer playing with his cards. There was something extremely fishy about this guy, and it was making me bristle. I did _not_ like this guy, not at all.

I heard the low growl from Chi's throat.

She felt the same way.

I noticed Inuzuka staring at me again.

What was his problem?

He told me that he saw me as his clan's enemy, but why is he staring at me lately? It wasn't a glare either.

_I'll confront him after the exams, maybe._

"He's Gaara of the Desert," I overheard Sasuke say, "and there's Rock Lee of the Leaf Village while you're at it.

"Man," Kabuto said with a slightly disappointed tone, "you even know their names. That makes it easy." I rolled my eyes at him as he shuffled his cards a little before picking two out of the deck and holding them up like he was playing _Go Fish_, "Here they are."

"Show them to me," Sasuke demanded, staring at the cards as though he were a hungry child watching the cookie jar.

_I still want that cookie..._

I grabbed my stomach as it growled softly.

Yoshimaru laughed at me, "Hungry, Miyu?"

"I was thinking about that cookie I never got," I whined.

Yoshimaru unhooked his ninja pouch, dug through it until he found what he was looking for. "Here," he handed over what looked like a granola bar, "I grabbed a few before I left my apartment in case we got hungry before the exam."

"Oh, thank you, Yoshi!" I hugged my teammate tightly.

"Okay," Kabuto's annoying voice caught my attention as I munched on the granola bar, "first up is Rock Lee." He played his little card trick and read off it's information about my new friend, "Looks like... He's about a year older than you guys. Mission experience: eleven C-ranks and twenty D-ranks. His squad leader is Guy. In the last twelve months, his Taijutsu has radically improved, but his other skills are pretty shaky. Last year, he got a lot of attention as a Genin, but for some reason, he chose not to participate in the Chūnin Exams. This will be his first time as a candidate, same as you guys. His teammates are TenTen and Neji Hyuuga."

I looked over at Hinata at the mention of Neji's name. Her eyes squinted for a split second, and she looked troubled. Instinctively, I got up and went to her, wrapping my arms around my friend.

Naruto tilted his head, "Huh? Hyuuga?"

"Okay," Kabuto stole the attention again, "now for Gaara of the desert." I noticed that Kabuto was using his middle finger this time to spin the card as his eyes watched me.

_Jerk._

With a puff of smoke, the information appeared, "Mission experience: eight C-ranks and, get this, one B-rank as a genin. There's not a lot more information on this guy. He was a rookie from another land originally, but there is this," he looked up at all of us this time, "he survived every mission without getting a scratch on him."

"The dude's done a B-rank as a genin," Shikamaru repeated, shocked at the information, "and has never even been injured?"

Naruto was starting to sweat a little, "What's the deal with this guy?"

Everyone watched as Kabuto pulled out the map card again, revealing the five nations. He read off the villages on the card, "Leaf, Sand, Rain, Grass, Waterfall, Sound. From the looks of it, they've all sent exceptionally skilled candidates to the exam this time around. Of course, the Hidden Sound Village is small. It sprang up recently. No one knows anything about it. Those guys are a mystery." He put the three cards at the top of the deck and smiled slightly, "Well, you get the point. The competition is going to be intense this year."

Hinata nervously hid her mouth behind her fist, "So it would seem... It's almost enough to make you lose your confidence."

"It's a fine time to start talking like that," Ino scolded as I gave Hinata a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

Sakura looked at Kabuto, ignoring the other kunoichi, "Do.. you really think it's going to be tougher this time?"

There was a secret behind the smile he gave as he side-glanced at the other candidates, "Ohhh, yeah... In the four years I've been coming, I've _never_ seen a crop of candidates with as much potential as this bunch. Yep, we've got our work cut out for us."

I didn't like him, nor would I allow my teammates be stupid enough to trust him.


	12. Hypersensitivity

I noticed Naruto was shaking after all the information we absorbed from Kabuto's little card game, but I figured it was out of excitement of the stronger competition. Sakura looked a little worried at her teammate despite her thoughtful look. I grinned, the girl probably thought Naruto was terrified. She really does know nothing about that knucklehead.

"Hey," Sakura took a few steps closer the the blond of Team Seven, looking over his shoulder, "don't worry, Naruto. We'll be fine."

She gasped, pulling back a little as Naruto's shaking came to an abrupt stop. With a war cry of a yell, he pointed towards the crowd, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm gonna' beat every one of ya'! Believe it!"

I couldn't help but smile at his energy. I glanced at my teammates, and they were snickering. I gave Naruto a pat on the shoulder. Ino was yelling in Sakura's ear about something that had to do with Naruto's little outburst, which ended up starting another bicker fight between the brainless kunoichis. Sasuke and Kabuto smiled as well at the loudmouth of a boy.

The crowd, though, wasn't too thrilled about what he had said.

I saw that the Inuzuka was staring at me again while Akamaru sat at Hinata's feet, nuzzling her leg. Without a second thought, I started to walk over to him only to be pulled back by someone. I turned to find Satoshi holding my wrist. I gave him a puzzled look, questioning his actions with my eyes.

He simply bent down to my level and whispered in my ear, "_Don't let your guard down, Miyu. There's a group of Sound nin watching us at the moment, they might attack. Watch for the mummy-looking guy._"

I gave a warning smiled, "_If they harm the Rookies, attack. I don't care about that Kabuto guy. I don't trust him, he has a bad scent. I don't like that one bit._"

"_Understood,_" he nodded then went over to Yoshimaru to give him my order.

_I don't like this. _I thought to myself as I spotted the trio hidden among the crowd. _If those Sound ninja attack, we'll be slightly defenseless. I don't know what kind of attacks they have,_ I looked at the mummy boy's arm, _but it has to do with the vibrations in sound if that's an amplifier on his arm. I don't know about the other boy or the girl, though, and that can mean trouble. _I wasn't able to register their scents due to the amount of people in the room, but I did memorize their appearances instead.

The guy with the amplifier-thing, or the mummy boy, had bandages covering most of his face, leaving only his left eye uncovered. He also wore a large poncho with long sleeves, a snake patterned scarf around his neck, a straw raincoat protruding from the back of his scarf, and a large amplifier on his right arm for most of his attacks. His back was hunched, which made him look smaller than he probably actually was.

I turned my attention to the other boy on their team. The guy had spiky, dark hair and dark eyes. He wore a beige shirt with two black stripes and three prints of the kanji for _death_ down the front. His forehead protector had an attached happuri* under the cloth rather than connected to the metal plate. He, too, wore a snake patterned scarf around his neck.

The female of the group had very long black hair, almost reaching down to the ground, tied by a violet ribbon right near the end, and she had black eyes. She wore a forehead protector with the Sound symbol on it. Her attire included a pale green vest somehow similar to a flak jacket*, and snake patterned pants and scarf.

It seemed that the gray snake pattern resembled their team like my necklaces for my own team. Even Misaki-sensei had one with her sapphire birthstone. It was strange to see that my idea had been copied by a group outside the village.

Chi growled, bringing my attention back to the group.

Amongst the silence, I was barely able to hear the spiky boy's words with my advanced sense of hearing, "You heard what he said about the Hidden Sound Village? He called us little, a mystery."

I was relieved that they weren't upset about Naruto's little outburst, but the mummy boy's voice sent a chill down my spine, "I heard..."

"I say," I heard the female speak, "we teach this guy some manners."

Mummy boy replied with a nod, "Yeah... Time to clear up some of the mystery for him." I saw that the bandaged boy was watching Kabuto the entire time, not even realizing that I could hear him, "Update his information. Let him know that... if you _ever_ insult the Sound shinobi, you better be ready for the consequences."

I felt eyes on me.

Turning around, I saw that my teammates were watching me with unease, questioning their moves. I shook my head at them, silently telling them that there was no danger towards our group. I flickered my eyes at Kabuto for a second then back to my team. They nodded in understanding, camouflaging themselves in the little circle around Naruto. Kabuto stood to his feet.

"Uhh," the Inuzuka boy heightened his voice, masking it behind his hand in attempt to mock Naruto, "can you say that again, a little louder? Didn't quite catch it."

I shot him a warning glare, which strangely he backed off to.

He lifted his hands in defense.

"You moron," I heard Shikamaru say, "are you _trying_ to get everybody in the place to hate our guts, or what?"

Naruto was laughing obliviously with his arms folded behind his head until Sakura came up behind him and put the boy in a headlock, "Naruto, you idiot!" Naruto struggled against the kunoichi's grip, "Why... would you.. say something like that?! You obnoxious little..."

Sakura shut up when she realized the crowd continued to glare at them.

I face-palmed as I muttered under my breath, "_Sakura, you idiot..._"

"Oh," the pinkette raised a hand to the crowd with a Naruto passed out in her arms as she tried her best to get out of the situation her teammate had created, "hi, everyone. Don't mind him, sometimes he says these _spazzy_ things. He doesn't really mean them, they just kinda' _come out_."

The crowd continued to glare.

"_Tough crowd,_" I muttered to Shikamaru, who snickered a little in amusement.

Sakura continued her little rant, "He's, um, got this _condition_, ya' know? Kind of a psychological thing, he really should be on medication." She turned to Naruto as he regained consciousness and scolded him, "_Now_ see what you've done, Naruto?! You've hurt everyone's feelings! They think you don't respect them, but that isn't true, is it, Naruto?!"

My ears pricked as I barely heard the mummy boy's voice again, "You ready?"

"Let's do it," the spiky boy replied in a bored tone.

I grabbed a kunai from my holster and moved in front of Naruto and Sakura. My teammates were confused for a moment, but they quickly realized the game plan.

Satoshi covered the group of Rookies to my right, guarding Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.

Yoshimaru went to my left, guarding the others except Sasuke who was standing behind Naruto and Sakura.

Chi hissed, hopping to Hinata's shoulder.

Mummy boy's voice was loud enough to hear clearly, "_Now!_"

Within a flash, the Sound ninja disappeared from their spot. I listened for their footsteps, watching blurs run through the crowd.

_They're getting closer..._

I bit the inside of my cheek as I sent a warning growl to my team. Yoshimaru had his bracelet aimed in front of him, ready to fire poisonous darts at whoever gets closer. Satoshi held three shuriken in each hand. Chi's fur was bristled, and her claws were extended as she sent her own growl.

"Would you just, for once in your life..." Sakura's words trailed off when she saw our positions, "Miyu, what in the world are you doing?"

"Shut up, pinkie," I hissed as two kunai knives were thrown at the ground just after Kabuto jumped out of the way.

I saw the mummy boy appear just a few inches away from Kabuto, pulling back his arm in preparation of a punch.

All the Rookies, except me and my team, gasped in surprise as the boy went to strike. I heard an extremely high whistle release from the holes on mummy boy's amplifier as Kabuto barely, just barely, dodged a nice punch to the face. It was just a milliseconds afterwards that Kabuto's glasses cracked and shards of it fell to the floor.

The rest of the room stayed in complete silence as they were before, just watching.

"Oh, I get it," Kabuto broke the silence as he pulled off his broken glasses, "so it was _that_ kind of attack."

_He made the vibrations that make sound intensify._ I thought to myself as chills ran down my spine.

My head was starting to hurt from that sudden blast of high pitched whistling that happened just seconds ago.

"Hang on," Sasuke ran a few steps closer, "I saw it all. He dodged the attack. How did that happen?"

"It must have come closer than it looked," Shikamaru replied his own thoughts. His expression taking on an irritated look, "Keh. Look at him, acting like it was nothing. Real tough guy."

I could smell the sweat beading up on Kabuto's face, but his expression remained neutral.

_Could... this have been planned? _I looked from Kabuto to the Sound ninja leader, who was no longer making anymore of an attempt to strike. _It had to be... If this were any normal battle between strangers, then the Sound ninja would've been attacking while he had the chance when Kabuto was taking off his glasses. There's something going on here, and it looks bad... It's as though, the mummy's strike just got a little too close for Kabuto's comfort._

It wasn't until after I finished my thoughts about Kabuto being a traitor that I notice him shaking. I watched as the boy fell to his knees, then to all fours. He vomited.

My own stomach begin to lurch.

_I never was one for vomit._

I covered my nose with my free hand, nearly gagging over the smell. I felt my teammates' eyes on me, but I waved them off.

"What?" Naruto was the one to speak up with his raspy voice, "Did he just...?"

"Kabuto," Sakura leaned forward slightly but keeping her distance at the same time, "what's wrong? What is it?"

I watched as Naruto and Sakura ran to Kabuto's side. I felt dizzy, and not the fun kind of dizzy either.

I leaned against the nearest person, not caring who it was. The smell of vomit was too much for me. They wrapped an arm around me to steady me as I buried my nose against the person, breathing in _their _scent to block out Kabuto's stomach fluids. I couldn't believe that I was leaning against _this_ person.

* * *

Kiba watched as Nekoshima hid her face against Shino, looking like she was going to pass out. Her skin had turned slightly paler within a few seconds, giving her a sickly look. Kiba caught scent of the foul smell and grabbed his nose. It was bad, but not enough to make someone nauseous unless...

_Unless your stomach isn't strong enough to handle it._

It was then that he understood. Kiba still felt a pang of jealousy as he watched Shino hold her up for support.

"Not such a tough guy after all, I guess," Kiba turned to see three Sound ninja standing in front of Kabuto with Naruto and Sakura kneeling on either side of him, but it was the guy with his head bandaged up that was speaking, "maybe that's why he's on his seventh try."

"Write this on your little card, punk," the guy to his right spoke with a cocky attitude, "the genin from the Sound Village will be chūnin when this is over. Guaranteed."

Naruto growled at the Sound ninja, but everyone else stayed quiet. They were just watching the trio. Satoshi and Yoshimaru stood their ground with their weapons drawn, ready to fight off any attacks that went to harm teams Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi, but Kiba saw how badly they wanted to run over to Nekoshima. Hinata had that same look in her eyes to where she even took a step closer, only to be blocked off by Satoshi.

"_Hinata_," Kiba heard him whisper, "_you know she wouldn't want you getting too close right now._"

"_But_, _S-Satoshi-kun..._"

Satoshi only shook his head at her.

"Shino..." Kiba's head snapped towards the voice so quickly he probably had whiplash, "Shino, do you have any water?"

"Yeah, hold on." Shino's glasses reflected in the lighting, "Kiba, hold her for a moment."

Hesitantly, Kiba went over and leaned the girl against him. She pressed her cold nose against his neck, sending him a quick flashback of when he was carrying her home.

"Hn..." He shivered as Nekoshima's eyelashes fluttered against his neck, "This is... familiar..."

Shino pulled out a bottle of water from his pocket, and handed it to the girl.

Immediately, Kiba handed her back to his teammate, allowing _him_ to deal with Nekoshima's nuzzling. Kiba sweat dropped as his friend showed no reaction to her leaning against him again as she guzzled down the water. Kiba knew his face was probably a nice shade of red, and he knew that Shino was secretly laughing at him.

A large puff of smoke appeared on the teacher's desk, catching everyone's attention, "All right, you baby-faced degenerates, pipe down and listen up."

Everyone stared as the smoke faded away, their jaws dropping all at the same time as if on cue.

* * *

**(*Keywords in either English, Japanese, or my own little language that you might not completely understand.)**

***Happuri - A metal place that covers the forehead and cheeks.  
**

***Flak Jacket - A sleeveless jacket made of heavy fabric reinforced with metal or Kevlar, worn as protection against bullets and shrapnel.  
**


	13. Rules

A man stood in front of the teacher's desk with a miniature army of ninja in identical, greenish-gray uniforms behind him, standing in attention with their hands behind their backs. He had a large, imposing figure, which he complemented with a rugged head and face covered with old wounds and scars. He reminded me of my father with the scars. The man wore his navy headband like a bandana like one of the boys that played the Genjutsu trick on the second floor. He also wore an uniform of a blueish-purple, button-down shirt that was most likely long-sleeved, matching pants, a black leather trench coat that went down to his calves, and navy gloves with the Leaf Village symbol on the metal plate that covered his knuckles.

"It's time to begin." He was smiling to the crowd of frowning genin, though. That smile showed no trace of warmth, "I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and for this moment, your worst enemy."

"_Are you okay, Miyu?_" It was Yoshimaru that whispered, trying not to attract the newcomer's attention, when my teammates rushed to my side, eager to find out if I needed medical care.

"_I'm fine,_" I reassured with a smile. "_Thanks to Shino, I'm still alive._"

"_I did nothing,_" Shino shook his head, "_except prevent you from falling._"

"_Actually,_" I wagged a finger at him, "_your scent prevented me from throwing up _myself_._"

I knew that Shino probably rolled his eyes at me, but he said nothing more about the situation.

"_Miyu,_" Satoshi whispered to me, his voice masking the concern that was clearly shown in his eyes, "_what do you think about that proctor? He's kind of intimidating..._"

I shook my head, "_He's probably been through some kind of torture method on a mission when he was younger. Those scars are too similar to be on different occasions. He might be a nice guy that needs to be warmed up to._"

Yoshimaru looked at me curiously, "_How would you know?_"

"_You forget,_" I smiled, "_my father use to be_ covered _scars from head to toe. He went through multiple torture methods from enemy shinobi that had been trained for interrogations, but my father never said a peep about Konoha's secrets. The Hokage put a lot of trust into him for his strong will. He always use to tell me when I was younger, 'Just because a man is covered in scars, it doesn't mean he's dangerous to all. It could just mean that he has the courage and willpower to protect what he loves at all costs, even his own life.'_"

Ibiki's eyes landed on me. I didn't flinch or shy away, instead I smiled wider and waved to him. I noticed the slightest twitch of his lip in a hesitant smile. His gaze traveled to the Sound trio.

"First," he pointed at the Sound trio, "you candidates from the Village Hidden in the Sound... Knock it off! Who told you that you could fight? You want to be failed before we've even begun?"

_I think I'm going to like this guy..._ I thought as Chi hopped from Hinata's shoulder to mine. Her fur was still slightly bristled, but she was calming down. I nuzzled her shoulder with my forehead. She started up her purr engine.

"Sorry," mummy boy replied, turning to look at Ibiki, "it's our first time. Guess we're a little jumpy, _sir_."

"Hmph." Ibiki smiled coldly again as he turned his attention because to the crowd, "I'll say this once, so listen up. There will be no combat between candidates, no attacking each other without the permission of your proctor, and, even then, the use of fatal force strictly prohibited." His expression darkened as he glared at the genins, "Anyone who even _thinks_ of messing with me will be disqualified immediately, got it?"

I saw Yoshimaru shake a little at the tension growing in the room, so I put a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. We'll get through this together, as a team. You've got me _and_ Satoshi here for you, Yoshi."

Satoshi nodded his agreement, "We've got your back, man."

Yoshimaru grinned nervously, "Thanks, guys."

"Hmph."

Our attention turned to the spiky boy that was amongst the Sound trio.

He spoke up again, "No fatal force? That's no fun."

I heard soft chuckles come from the army behind Ibiki.

"Now," the man ignored the genin's comment, "if we're ready, we'll proceed to the first stage of the Chūnin Exam. Hand over your paperwork." Ibiki held up a stack of cards, the first one with the number one on it, "In return, you'll each be given a number. This number will determine where you will sit. We'll start the written test once you're all seated."

"The what...?" Naruto watched Ibiki with a strange expression, "Did he say... _written_?"

"A _written_ exam," I repeated, only, I had more dread in my voice.

It was Yoshimaru's turn to comfort _me_, "Miyu, you're plenty smart. You'll probably zip through this quicker than anyone else in the room."

One of the men, who looked oddly like the hatter from earlier, smiled and waved a large stack of papers.

He was _taunting_ us.

Naruto screamed with wide-eyes like the world was ending, "Noooooooo! Not a written test! No way!"

_Jerks._ I bit my lip and glared at the paper as though it were nothing but evil, "You know how I hate exams. They frustrate me, then they bristle me, then the paper ends up everywhere with desks flipped over."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." I looked over at Satoshi, "I thought you wanted to be an _ANBU_ like your mom, but if you can't even handle a little exam like this..." He purposely trailed off on his words.

I grabbed my teammate by his collar and pulled him until we were merely inches apart, "I _will_ become an ANBU like my mother, and I'm going kick your happy butt the day that it happens." I pushed him away from me, bristled as I pushed my sleeves up to my elbows, "I'm ready for this dang test. Bring it on!"

My teammates smiled at my current enthusiasm. I was just happy that the proctor didn't see what had just occurred, so I won't automatically fail when the test hadn't even begun.

* * *

Everyone sat in their newly assigned seats. The gray army seated themselves along the walls of the room where chairs had been placed. Each and every one of them had a clipboard and pen. I looked at the people that sat around me. I didn't know them. They smelled weird, too. The one of my right was a grass ninja, and the one on my left was a sand ninja with a fan. In front of me was that Sound girl.

A dog woofed from behind me.

I turned to find the Inuzuka boy with his dog on his head.

"Well, hello," I smiled politely before adding, "_Akamaru_."

The dog's tail wagged happily.

He was obviously glad that I acknowledged his existence, even if I didn't acknowledge his master's. I had no reason to bring Akamaru and Chi into our affairs. It was the animal's choice. Chi decided to hate Inuzuka for his attitude, but she wanted to be friends with Akamaru. Akamaru knew that I'd bring him no harm anymore after he started appearing during my training with Kurenai.

At first, Chi saw him as a spy and a threat. After a few days of the dog's appearance during our training, Chi got bored with lying around so she would talk to him. They ended up developing a type of friendship.

"Nekoshima," the boy started, "I'm-"

"I don't want to hear it," I interrupted coldly, returning my attention to the front.

"But-"

"No."

He stayed quiet.

Ibiki continued standing at the teacher's desk, his arms now crossed. I looked around, searching for my teammates or even a few friendly faces that didn't include the scent of dog.

I saw that Hinata and Naruto were sitting next to each other in the third or fourth row. I couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of them. Satoshi sat in the eighth row, just three rows high than me. Yoshimaru was sitting on the right side of the room, but I was too lazy to count the rows. The Rookies were scattered about. Sakura smirking despite the fact that Ino was just a two rows above her.

She was oblivious.

Chi curled up on my lap, nuzzling my stomach fondly, "_You've gotten cold, Miyu._"

"It happens when someone gets cheated one too many times," I replied flatly.

I felt my mood lighten, though, when I saw Hinata and Naruto talking to each other.

_That's my girl. Get over your shyness bit by bit so you can get your boy after I beat him for liking a brat like Sakura._

I chuckled at the image that popped into my head about me shoving the pink haired kunoichi into a closet as Naruto and Hinata run off into the sunset.

* * *

"I'm _such _a hopeless romantic," Kiba was just able to hear Nekoshima's voice as she slammed her head against the table. The two on either side of her looked at her strangely. He couldn't blame them. The girl was always known for her questionable sanity.

"_Girls are weird_," Akamaru arfed at him.

He sweat dropped at the girl in front of him, "No kidding..."

His ears pricked at a _tap_ sound. He turned his attention to the front where Ibiki had a piece of chalk against the blackboard. This brought back memories of his academy years. When Iruka-sensei would yell at him for picking on Nekoshima or for ditching class with Naruto and the guys.

"Everyone," Ibiki caught the classrooms attention, "eyes front. There are a few rules that you need to be aware of, and I _won't _answer any questions. So, you better pay attention the first time around." He spoke as he wrote on the board, marking the blackboard with white, "All right, rule number one is this: the written part of the exam is conducted in a point reduction system. Contrary to what some of you may be use to, you all will begin the test with a perfect score of ten points. One point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong. So, if you miss three, your final score will be seven."

"_Great_..." Nekoshima muttered in front of him. Her arms were crossed on the desk in front of her, resting her chin on her arms. He heard the faintest purring from the cat on her lap.

"Rule number two." Ibiki announced in case anyone had looked away, "Teams will pass or fail based on the total score of all three members.

"What?!" The speaker was Sakura, and she looked _mad_ despite a fresh red mark on her forehead, "Wait a second, you're saying we all get scored... as a_ team_?!"

"_Silence_," Ibiki held authority in his tone as though it were casual. "I have my reasons. So, shut up and listen."

She shut right up and gave him a pitiful puppy look. Kiba frowned a little at it.

"Rule number three," he didn't waver at all, "the sentinels you see positioned around the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of _cheating_, and for every incident they spot, they will subtract two points from the culprit's score."

Someone from the crowd of students spoke, "What?"

"Huh?" Sakura seemed surprised.

"Be warned," Ibiki only smiled coldly, "their eyes are extremely sharp, and if they catch you five times, you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scored. Anyone fool enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels does not deserve to be here."

Kiba's ears pricked again when a male spoke, "I've got my eye on you guys."

He turned to see a sentinel with his legs crossed and the clipboard on his knee smiling at two students. They jerked a little. Nekoshima was looking at them, too, but her eyes were more focused on the sentinel than the students. Her upper lip twitched as though she were holding back a snarl.

He's seen the look many times in the past.

"If you wanna' be be considered shinobi," Ibiki spoke again, "then show us what exceptional shinobi you can be."

"_All right, Chi,_" Nekoshima caught his attention again as she whispered to the cat on her lap, "_let's do our best._"

"One more thing," Ibiki put his hands in the pockets of his trench coat, "if any candidate should get a zero and fail the test, then the entire team fails."

Sakura's loudmouth spoke up again, "What'd he say?!"

Nekoshima glared at her with a enlarged vein throbbing on the side of her head, "Are you deaf, dingbat?"

"The final question won't be given out until fifteen minutes before the ending of the testing period. You'll have one hour total," Ibiki finished.


	14. Five Strikes, And You're Out!

The moment the clock struck three-thirty in the afternoon, Ibiki shouted, "_Begin!_"

Everyone picked up their pencils and went to work. My ears kept pricking at the constant noise around me. I was tempted to screech at everyone to shut up, but I might get kicked out for it and never hear the end of it from my _loving_ teammates. The tapping was getting on me nerves, though...

_Okay, Miyu, keep a grip on yourself._ I thought to myself, looking over the questions. _Question two: Line B in the diagram indicates the trajectory of a shuriken thrown at Enemy C by Ninja A seated atop a tree 7 meters tall. Describe and formulate the required if C were positioned at points D, E, and F. Also predict the farthest possible range of the shuriken and explain how you arrived at your answer... _I blinked and did a double take at the question. _Wait, these are no questions for mere genin like ourselves... They're extremely advanced, so no one could possibly figure it out unless you were a complete nerd like Sakura with this, but then only idiots would have to cheat to get it right... Unless... They _want_ us to cheat._

I think I just had an epiphany.

_Of course! That's it!_

I put the paper down and slammed my head against the desk again, making it look like I was defeated by the test. Chi looked up at me in curiosity. I was thankful that I decided to wear one of my larger hoodies today because Chi was basically hidden in the black clothing.

"_Chi,_" I whispered to her, barely moving my lips, "_they _want_ us to cheat. It's a test to see our skills in giving information to each other without the enemy knowing what's going on._"

She tilted her head a little, "_And if the enemy, being the sentinels, catch you, you're practically dead! That's why you only get so few tries! I understand now._"

I grinned, "_That's my girl. I'm going to fill out two sheets of answers, okay? I'm going to have one as my answer sheet for this test, and the other I want you to give to Satoshi, then give it to Yoshimaru. Understand?"_

She gave me a quick nod.

With a deep breath, I lifted my head and filled out the answers as quickly as I could. I was glad that my uncle had forced me to read some advanced books about chūnins and jōnins when I refused to train with him. I finished my own test, then I ripped a smaller piece of paper off the back, which was just blank, and scribbled the answers on there. Once finished with that, I flipped my test over and put my head back on the table.

"_Okay, baby girl_,_" _I told her, giving her the rolled up paper, "_quicker than a jackrabbit, quieter than a mouse._"

"_Understood,_" she took the roll in her mouth and hopped off my lap.

I didn't bother try to watch her go because I didn't want to give away suspicion to the sentinels. I lifted my head back up and watched the clock. The tapping and scribbling pencils kept pricking my ears, and I was trying my best to ignore it.

The clock was starting to get to me, too.

_Tick, tick, tick_.

_Tap, tap, tap._

_Scratch, scratch, scratch._

I rested my head on the desk again and covered it with my arms.

_Why must I have a cat's hearing?  
_

I shut my eyes for a bit.

* * *

He couldn't help but smirk a little when he figured out the trick to the test.

He looked up from his test, just barely able to catch a glimpse of a white blur hopping off Nekoshima's lap and running off. It started to click after he thought about it for a few seconds. It was a little concerning that she put her head down, though.

Did she give up?

_No, she never gives up. She's too stubborn for that._

Did she finish?

_That quickly? It couldn't be possible!_

What if she failed?

He badly wanted to know.

His sanity quickly caught on to what he had been thinking, and he sweat dropped.

_Why am I freaking out about this girl so much? I mean, she's just a girl like Hinata. _He chewed his bottom lip a little, twirling the pencil through his fingers. _No, she's not like Hinata, not like her at all. Hinata's quiet and shy, though, she does have her moments. Nekoshima, on the other hand, is clumsy, rambuncious, and even a little cute at times._

Kiba slammed his the side of his fist against his forehead.

_No, no, no! I can't think like that about her._

"_Kiba_," Akamaru brought him back to reality with a bark, "_I found the next answer._"

"Good boy," he replied, marking it down as Akamaru grumbled. "Yeah, that'll do it. Heh, okay, now for number four."

"_Okay,_" the dog yipped.

He continued marking down the answers as Akamaru gave them to him. Nekoshima was still lingering in the back of his mind though. Hinata would be fine with the test, she's a brainiac. Shino could use his whole bug swarm that's built inside him if he needed any answers that he couldn't figure out.

He glanced at the clock.

_4:20_ _pm.  
_

They only had ten more minutes now. _  
_

"_Zzz..._"

His eyes traveled to Nekoshima's hunched over back.

Was she ... _snoring_?

How could this girl possibly be _sleeping_ during something as important as this exam?

He sweat dropped again.

It was a cute little snore, too...

He hit his head again.

_I really need to stop thinking about her like that._

He turned over his paper and looked at Hinata. Kiba noticed that Naruto was leaning a little too close to his teammate, causing the dog boy to raise a suspicious eyebrow. It took him a moment to realize that Hinata was showing Naruto _her_ test.

A shiny object caught his attention as Naruto jumped back. A soft sigh escaped his nostrils in relief when he saw that it hadn't hit his female teammate's desk. It landed in the middle of a guy's paper that was sitting _behind_ Hinata.

_I'll question Hinata about this later._

The girl in front of _Kiba_, though, started to stir as the guy stood up. He watched the back of her head as she adjusted herself to watch the commotion that had woken her from her rest. Kiba saw a white tail swish as it dangled off the side of Nekoshima's lap.

The demon cat must've made her rounds then.

"What the..." The guy looked terrified as Kiba turned his attention back to him, but he also sounded _ticked off_, "What was that all about?"

One of the sentinels with tape across his nose just smiled, "Five strikes, and you're out." As his eyes narrowed, his smile grew wider and less friendly-looking, "You just failed the test."

"What?!" The guy was just horrified, "It can't be..."

"You and your teammates," the sentinel pointed at the guy as he just stood there, "will leave the room immediately."

Two other guys with Konoha headbands stood up with disappointed looks on their faces. They left the room quietly, leaving their teammate to stand there, terrified. The guy looked like he was actually frozen to the ground until he started walking a few moments later.

One of the sentinels, Kiba was no longer paying attention to them, announced, "Candidate number 23, fail. Number 27 and 43, fail."

Kiba watched as two of the sentinels dragged a guy out of the room as he yelled about not doing anything. He noticed that Nekoshima's shoulders were shaking.

Was she shaken by the incident?

He heard little snickers come from her direction.

Or was she... laughing?

"_Hehe_," he heard her hushed tone, "_that's what they get for cheating so obviously._"

Kiba just shook his head and smiled to himself.

* * *

The exam continued and more people were sent out with their comrades. Kiba had yet to see any other the Rookies sent out. He didn't see those Sound ninja or that Kabuto guy leave either. Actually, he had no idea where Kabuto might have been seated.

"No, no way!"

Kiba's ears pricked at the next guy getting sent out. He was a Sand ninja. His palm was flat on the desk, and he hand a fist raised like he was going to try doing damage to whoever steps close to him.

And he didn't seem happy either, "Who says I cheated five times? Where's your proof? How can you keep track of _all _of us? You got the wrong guy! How do you know I wasn't just-"

Within a blink of the eye, the guy was slammed into the wall by the sentinel that had his eyes covered with bandages. The sentinel was holding up the kid by his throat with his forearm.

"Sorry, pal," the sentinel was smiling like he was enjoying the test as if it were a game for him, "we were chosen for this duty because we don't _make_ mistakes like that. You can't even blink without us seeing it. We're the best of the best, and you, my friend, are history." He released the genin and put his hand back in his pocket like the incident didn't even happen, "Now get out. Take your teammates with you."

"_Ironic, isn't it,_" Kiba's ears pricked again, but it was at Nekoshima's voice, especially when she finished, "_Inuzuka?_"

"_Eh?_" Kiba was trying to keep his voice down to less than a whisper, "_What's ironic?_"

"_How the blind guy watches us like a hawk through his bandages,_" her shoulders were shaking again, "_it's kind of ironic._"

Kiba thought about it and chuckled.

_It is pretty funny..._

* * *

Kiba glanced at the clock again.

_4:25 pm._

Kiba mentally groaned._ It's only been five minutes..._

About half the room had been sent out from being caught. Kiba was relieved that it was none of the Rookies had left yet. It sucked that the Sound ninja hadn't been kicked out, though.

He noticed that Nekoshima was nestling her head back into her arms.

Without thinking much of it, he tossed his pencil at her head. Her head popped back up like a Jack-in-the-Box. She picked the up off her desk, and, for a moment, he thought she was going to stab him with it. Instead, she pouted out her lips like she was going to kiss something and balanced it.

It was actually pretty cute.

In a way.

"All right," Ibiki announced before Kiba could hit himself again, "listen up. Here's the tenth and final question."

The room stayed quiet.

Some people were breaking into a nervous sweat, which was easy for Kiba to smell since his nose was so sensitive. Akamaru, too. He was even nervous about the tenth question now.

Nekoshima didn't look bothered by it at all. She was more amused with balancing his pencil than anything else. The girl was as calm as Shino would have been, but in her own weird way. Her arms folded behind her hand with her feet propped up on the desk. That cat of hers was tucked comfortably against her stomach.

He sweat dropped at the girl.

"But," Ibiki continued, "there are some more rules that you need to be aware of."

The door creaked open.

It was probably the guy that asked to use the bathroom earlier. Nekoshima grinned as he walked in, at the same time, so did Ibiki. The pencil fell on Nekoshima's lap. Kiba resisted the urge to turn around and see what they were looking at.

"Ah," Ibiki was grinning still, "made it just in time. I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening." Ibiki looked down for a moment, "Well, take your seat."

"_The idiot,_" Nekoshima whispered before re-balancing the pencil on her lips.

"These rules are _unique_ to Question Ten," Ibiki said, stepping towards the window, "so listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you."


	15. Misaki's Worry

She sat on the couch next to Kakashi with a light blush dusted on her cheeks. Misaki had always found the mysterious Kakashi Hatake attractive, though, she had nearly given up on him when they were kids because Rin was assigned to his team instead of her. Her mood dampened a little at the memory of Rin and Obito from their academy years.

_May their souls rest in peace..._

"It's... quiet without the Rookies around," Kakashi's voice brought her back to the present. "Hmph. I almost miss them."

Asuma and Kurenai were sitting on the couch across from them. All four of them were sitting around, waiting and wondering about their students.

How far have they gotten?

How much more could they take?

They were only children, but they were becoming matured to the real world around them. The world of the shinobi that will lead them into the fate that's been set for them in the future. It wasn't kids' games anymore. All of it was a test of life or death now._  
_

Misaki decided she'd take Miyu's advice and replied, "Oh, hush, Kakashi, you know you do. We all do. We're just sitting and waiting for any news about them. We're worrying like mother hens."

"Don't worry then," Asuma grinned a little, holding his cigarette in his right hand. "Chances are they'll be back again sooner than you think."

Kakashi looked an him curiously, "Why's that?"

Asuma simply flicked the ashes on his cigarette away into a metal canister next to him, "I heard that their first examiner is... Ibiki.

"Huh?" Kakashi was obviously surprised.

Misaki's eyes widened, "Ibiki? Ibiki Morino? Oh, no, those poor kids..."

"Great..." Kakashi leaned back against the couch, "Sticking them with that sadist right off the bat."

"Huh?" Kurenai looked confused, "What sadist?"

Asuma chuckled, "I forgot, you're a new jōnin, Kurnenai, otherwise you wouldn't have to ask that."

Kurenai tilted her head a little at him then turned to her friend, "So, I'm ignorant. Who is he, Misaki?"

"He's what you might call... a specialist," Kakashi intervened before Misaki could have answered.

"Oh, yeah? In what?"

Asuma took a drag from his cigarette then smiled at the feminine jōnin, "Interrogation."

"Torture," Misaki added, lacing her hands together on her lap and overlapping her thumbs. She looked up at Kurenai through her purple bangs, "He wouldn't use physical torture during the test. He wouldn't need to. He's more towards making you mentally insane if you don't give him the information he wants."

"He's famous for it," Asuma grinned a little again.

Misaki waved him off like she was swatting at a fly, "Everyone knows about the head of the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Core for the Hidden Leaf Village, Ibiki Morino."

Kurenai's head jerked back a little, "Really?"

"Mhm," Misaki nodded to her friend. "Ibiki is one tough interrogator. He's always ahead of you. Even when you think you're winning, you're not. You're just playing his game exactly how he wants you to."

"He loves to play with your mind," Kakashi agreed, "like it's his favorite game."

"I see," Kurenai's gaze fell to her lap.

"I'm sure your squad will be fine," Misaki put a reassuring hand on Kurenai's knee. "You have a Kiba, who's been played by Miyu's mind games since they've met. He probably knows all the signs. Shino and Hinata are intelligent enough to figure things out on their own. You've got a smart bunch with you."

"Speaking of Miyu," Kurnenai looked at Misaki in the eyes, "have you noticed anything strange about her lately?"

The males of the party stayed quiet since they hadn't known anything about the girl other than silly stories. It was like the two women were the only ones in the room during this conversations. Their existences didn't matter at this point. Misaki pulled her hand away and folded both of them on her lap.

"What do you mean by 'strange'?"

"In the beginning, I had Miyu and Kiba spar because they were already getting fussy," Kurenai's gaze never left Misaki's, it's only became more intense, "and during that spar, Miyu passed out. Do you know what happened there?"

"Not a clue," she lied, hating herself for it.

Misaki knew of Miyu's little... "shift" as the team called it.

Ikari was an extremely deadly being, but no one knows how she came to possess Miyu. The girl had claimed that she's been with Ikari since the day she was born. Her parents might have known something about it, but they had passed away in the massacre four years ago. Misaki's heard of the stories about the Nekoshima clan, how bits of them were rebelling against the head of the clan because he stood by his daughter. The rebels would go about and stir up trouble with the Inuzuka clan. No one ever knew why they rebelled, though.

The only one that would truly know would be Miyu.

"Are you sure?"

Misaki attempted to tap her chin thoughtfully for a moment or two, just to give Kurenai some peace of mind, "No... No, not that I can't think of."

"All right," Kurenai still seemed unconvinced.

_I hate lying to her like this, especially since she's my best friend. _Misaki thought to herself, wanting to chew her lip. _I can't risk something happening to Miyu, though. She has to understand one day. Miyu had sworn all three of use to secrecy because of how worried she was the first time it occurred in front of the team... _

* * *

_It was the beginning of training, just a day after they gathered the bells from Misaki. She borrowed Kakashi's bell technique. Satoshi and Miyu were able to get the bells, so Yoshimaru ended up being tied to the stump. Misaki smirked when Miyu gave up her lunch the moment she heard Yoshimaru's stomach growl._

_The girl had declared that she couldn't let a comrade fall over something as idiotic as hunger. Satoshi poured some of his food into Miyu's bento box before Misaki passed them. They were an amazing team since the beginning, despite a bit of bickering here and there.  
_

_Misaki wanted to see her students skills up against each other, so she set up a spar. It started as Satoshi versus Yoshimaru, then the winner would go against Miyu and her cat. _

_The first match was a long one._

_Yoshimaru and Satoshi were evenly matched against each other, with each one being able to slam a hit or two onto the other. At one point, Satoshi found an opening and punched Yoshimaru right in the face.  
_

_He went blind for a moment from the sudden shock, stumbling back. Blood was pouring from his nose. His bottom lip split a little and blood seeped. The redhead held his hand to his nose, but the crimson liquid trailed down his arm. Satoshi was smirking at his small taste of victory.  
_

_"_Blood..._"  
_

_Misaki looked at Miyu, who had been standing right next to her during the fight. Her bangs were covering her eyes, but Misaki knew something was wrong. Within a blink of the eye, Miyu was in front of Yoshimaru. She grabbed the back of his neck and yanked him down to her level. His lips crashed against hers._

_Misaki blushed when she saw Miyu lick his bloody lip.  
_

_"Miyu!"  
_

_Satoshi was now behind the girl, trying to pull her off Yoshimaru.  
_

_"_The blood..._" Her voice was raspy, like she had a bad cold, "_It's not as delicious as the past, but it's blood..._"  
_

_Misaki dashed behind Yoshimaru, wrapping her arms around his stomach, and pulled. Miyu had a tight grip on the boy, but Misaki saw that Miyu's eyes were different. They were the normal icy blue color, they were silver. Pure silver._

_Something was seriously wrong._

_Misaki did one hard yank at the boy.  
_

_"Ouch!"  
_

_The back of Yoshimaru's neck had claw marks, like a cat scratched him. Satoshi had Miyu in a headlock. She was flailing and screaming for the blood. Misaki watched, keeping Yoshimaru behind her, as Satoshi bit her ear._

_She stopped flailing, and she stopped screaming._

___It was an odd act, but her eyes flickered back into their usual blue._

_She fell to her knees.  
_

_"I'm sorry..." She covered her face in her hands, "I'm so sorry... __I'm sorry. __I'm sorry."_  


___She continued apologizing over and over. Misaki made sure to stop the bleeding and bandage Yoshimaru up before he even took a step near Miyu. She had never seen anything like it. Satoshi was cradling her in his arms as she continued apologizing. She wouldn't stop.  
_

___"Miyu," Yoshimaru placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched, "it's okay."  
_

___She looked up at him, tears pouring from her sapphire eyes. It was like the sadness and loneliness melted the ice in them and brought out the deeper color. She looked horrified. Misaki's heart just broke for her.  
_

___"I'm so sorry, Yoshi," she jumped up and took a few steps back. "I didn't think... She shouldn't have... I'm sorry."  
_

___With each step he took towards her, she stepped back. She was just about to turn away, looking like a scared rabbit ready to bolt, when Yoshimaru grabbed her arm and pulled her into a tight hug.  
_

___"Miyu," he said, trying to soothe her, "it's okay. It's okay."  
_

___Misaki just couldn't believe her eyes. It was like watching a tragic love story. She didn't know what to do either. Should she break it up? Should she continue watching like an anime-crazed teenage girl?_

___Miyu was struggling against Yoshimaru, but he wouldn't let her go.  
_

___It got to the point where she stopped trying, and she just returned the embrace. She appeared to have gotten tired out from the struggling. Yoshimaru was able to calm her down to the point that she'd sit near him and explain everything about Ikari.  
_

___"Her name is Ikari," Miyu looked like a terrified rabbit stilll, "and she's been apart of me since birth. I don't know her story, but I normally see her in my dreams. There's rare occasions where it's just the scent of blood that needs to hit me for her to take over, but it hasn't happened in awhile. It's also when I'm extremely upset, too. She has the chakra to stop time for whoever she wants whenever she wants. I don't know what she is, but she can control me whenever she wants. She just chooses to when there's blood involved."  
_

___"I see," Misaki rubbed her chin, processing the new information.  
_

___Satoshi wrapped an arm around Miyu's shoulders while Yoshimaru wrapped one around her waist. Misaki couldn't help but smile. Even though Yoshimaru had been slightly molested and nearly killed just a few moments ago, he still had faith in her. Satoshi had obviously seen the situation before because he didn't even flinch when it happened. He just acted.  
_

___"Miyu," Misaki said, causing the girl to look up at her, "I promise you, that if I can, I won't let you get this far again. I try my best to hold you back, sweetheart."  
_

___Within an instant, the genin was in Misaki's arms, hugging her tightly, "Thank you, Misaki-sensei... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that this happened. I promise, too, that I'll try to keep a tighter grip on her."  
_

___"That's my girl," Misaki smiled, feeling like a mother-figure to the girl. She looked to the boys, "I think that's enough training for today, unless, Satoshi, you want to spar with Miyu?"  
_

___The boy paled and shook his head widely, "No, ma'am! She wins by default!"  
_

___The whole group burst into laughter.  
_

* * *

"Misaki."

It was a male's voice, and it was rather familiar, too. A gloved hand was waving in front of her face. Her gaze traveled from the hand to its owner's face, revealing a Kakashi Hatake. His visible eye held a bit worry in it, but she couldn't tell why. Her face blew up into a tomato shade when she realized he was merely inches away from her.

"K-K-Kakashi-kun!" She was shocked that he was there. She glanced around to find that they were the only two left in the room, causing her to turn a deeper red, "Wh-what are you doing here still? I thought you would've left."

"You looked dazed," he replied smoothly as always, "so I got a little worried about leaving you alone."

"You were... worried?" She was taken aback by the statement.

She had always known Kakashi as the stone figure of a man that didn't give much thought about people after his comrades passed. His student, Sasuke Uchiha, had a tendency to remind her of him. Miyu was basically the replica of Misaki, herself.

"Mmmhm," there was a crease in his navy mask, letting her know that he was smiling, "if you're still as clumsy as when we were kids, then I don't want you walking around alone. You might run into a building or something."

A vein popped out on her temple, "Well, _excuse me_, but I don't remember hearing anything about having a babysitter! I'm a grown woman for Kami's sake!"

"That you are, Misaki-chan," he ruffled her hair. "You've become a very divine woman."

The heat rose in her cheeks again, "Ka-Kakashi-kun..."

He put his hands back in his pockets and headed for the door. He paused just before he stepped out, "After the exam, let's celebrate your homecoming, eh?"

She froze for a moment.

_Is he asking what I think he's asking?_

"Well?" He raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to if you don't want to."

She perked up quickly, maybe even a little too quickly, "I'd love to!"

"All right," he walked out whistling a nameless tune.

Misaki couldn't stop smiling to herself. She raised her own hand to the spot that Kakashi's was and let it linger. The heat cooled a little, but it was still in her cheeks.

_I've got a date with my number one shinobi._

She squealed in delight._  
_


	16. Pass or Fail: Choice Is Yours

"Very well then," Ibiki turned towards the crowd of students. Some were shaking in fear of the final question, others were looked like they were about to bolt out of their seats.

"Rule number one," Ibiki continued, "each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision."

"Whoa," the fan girl next to me from the sand leaned forward, "so what's the catch? Let's say we don't want to do it, what happens then?"

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you'll get a zero." Ibiki smiled cruelly to the girl, "In other words, you fail. And that means, of course, both your teammates fail as well."

I figured that he had a thing for trying to keep his intimidating image around the younger generation around him.

The crowd murmured their "what?" and "huh?" amongst each other.

I glanced to my teammates to find that they were staring at me as well. They looked a little worried, so I sent a reassuring smile to them and nodded. Their worried expressions softened into grins as they nodded back.

"Not so fast," Ibiki continued, causing me to jump a little, "you didn't let me finish. If you do accept the question, but answer it incorrectly... You will not only fail, you will be barred from taking the Chūnin Exam ever again!"

"Hey, that's bull, man!"

I turned to the voice behind me to see Inuzuka standing up and pointing at Ibiki. He looked bristled, too. Akamaru had a small growl at the back of his throat.

"That's ridiculous!" He continued, "What kind of bogus rule is that? There's lots of people here who've taken the test before."

Akamaru barked in agreement.

"_Inuzuka_," I hissed under my breath, "_sit back down!_"

Ibiki started laughing.

My attention turned abruptly to him.

His features darkened as he stared at the Inuzuka boy, "I guess you're just... unlucky. _I _wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to."

Inuzuka flinched.

"If you're not feeling confident," Ibiki continued, "then, by all means, skip it. You can come back and try again next year."

He was laughing again, as though he was amused by the squirming students.

_No._

He _was_ amused by the squirming students.

Ibiki Morino reminded me of my father's description of an interrogator. He was the man that liked to play mind games and test a person's mental stability unlike the physical torturers. That had to be it. He had to be one of the interrogators for the Leaf. It makes no other sense as to how well he's been playing with us. He had to be a professional.

"Ugh," I face-palmed, "you idiot, Inuzuka..."

"Now then, if you're ready," Ibiki went back to what he was saying before Inuzuka interrupted, "the tenth, and final, question. Those who don't want take it, raise your hand. Your number will be recorded, then you're free to go."

I looked around.

There were no takers, but I could _smell_ the nervous sweat off these genin. It was not a pretty scent, either. I landed my gaze on Yoshimaru. He was normally more nervous when it came to things like this.

Yoshimaru was shaking his head. He must have felt my gaze because he looked over at me, concern taking over his mossy eyes. I smiled over to him and gave him a little thumbs-up.

"_We can get through this together_," I mouthed silently. "_We've been through worse than this_."

His eyes narrowed as he watched my lips move. He was always best at being able to read lips, despite the distance between us at the moment. He gave a nod before flashing me one of his knock-out grins.

I looked over to Satoshi. He was as calm and cool as ever. He grinned also, giving _me_ a thumbs-up.

We were going to pull through. It didn't matter what the challenge was as long as we stuck together as a team. They stayed by my side through the Ikari situation, so why should I get mad if we fail a little test?

The main thing would be that we had tried. The others knew that, too. I know they did. If anything, if we were to fail, we'd always have next year.

Hopefully, we wouldn't have Ibiki, though.

A pencil rolled, catching my attention. "I'm out," said a boy with his hand raised. He sat on the other side of Naruto. "That's it, I'm out. I just can't do it," he bowed his head, "I'm sorry."

One of the sentinels wrote as he announced, "Number 50, fail. Number 130, number 110, that means you're out, too."

"Gennai, Inoho," the genin kept his head bowed, "I'm sorry, guys."

Silently, two other genin stood up and left.

More students stood up and raised their hands. They claimed that they were done, that they couldn't take it anymore. The ones that gave up were marked down with their teammates by the sentinels. Their numbers were called, and they were sent out.

_Wusses_... I thought to myself. _If they choose to give up like that, then they have no right to call themselves shinobi. This is like a mission, and they should've followed through until the end._

I looked in front of me to see Naruto shaking.

I sighed heavily.

It was no use trying to force him to stay, but the poor kid felt like he had a duty to his teammates. Naruto, in my opinion, was one to be called shinobi. He never gives in. He never gives up. He always fights until the end. That's what always kept my respect for the little knucklehea-

A hand slowly raised into the air.

I felt my eyes widen as the word barely left my lips, "_No..._"

It was shaking, but the arm was connected to Naruto Uzumaki, the boy who dreamed of becoming Hokage one day.

My jaw fell open in disbelief.

I didn't want to see this

It was Naruto of all people!

Why was he raising his hand?

Was he ill?

_Please tell me that it's because he has to go to the bathroom like that other guy..._ I whined in my mind.

The hand stayed in the air.

I let my gaze fall in disappointment.

_BAM!_

I squeaked at the sudden noise.

I looked towards the direction it came from to see that Naruto's hand was no longer in the air, but palm-down on the table. He must've slammed it.

"Don't underestimate me," he declared, "I don't quit, and I don't run. You can act tough all you want. You guys aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't care if I _do _get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life." He stood to his feet, both hands on the desk now, "I'll still be Hokage some day!" He sat back down.

I grinned widely at the boy's back as I leaned back in my chair, relief was flooding through my nerves, "That's the way of Naruto Uzumaki."

"_I always liked this kid,_" Chi sat up on my lap, looking at his back also, "_even if he is an idiot._"

I giggled a little.

"This decision is one that can change your life," Ibiki replied. "If for any reason you would rather quit, now's your last chance."

"No way," Naruto smiled, "I never go back on my word. That's the way of the ninja."

"That's right," I stood to my feet. "Ibiki Morino, if you hadn't noticed already, the bunch known as the 'Twelve Rookies' fresh from the academy have yet to be scared away, sir. We're a rather stubborn bunch." I mimicked the cold smile he used against most of the students, "Also, to the rest of the genin in the room. They might have thought they lost their confidence, but now they're refreshed. We're going to take the tenth question head on!"

The crowd around me nodded in agreement.

I took a quick mental count of the room while I was standing.

Eighty-one students were left.

I sat back in my seat, satisfied.

Naruto looked back at me and grinned.

I mimicked the motion with pride.

No one else in the room raised their hands to be dismissed.

I looked over to the sentinels.

They were smiling and nodding to Ibiki.

"Well, then," Ibiki said, "I admire your determination, if nothing else. For those of you remaining, there's only one thing left to do, and that's for me to tell you..."

The class leaned forward in anticipation.

Ibiki looked up and smiled at us all, "You all passed the first exam."

"Huh?" I felt shock take over my body.

Once again my jaw dropped, but this time, Chi pushed it closed with her nose.

The rest of the students were in the same phase as I was. Pencils dropped as well as jaws. Expressions were filled with shock and wonder.

"Wha... Hold on," Sakura, the annoyance in my opinion, stood up to ask the obvious question, "what just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the tenth question?!"

Ibiki's smile grew wider as amusement danced in his dark eyes while he laughed at us, "There never was one, not a written one at least. Actually, your decision to stay was the answer to the tenth question."

Sakura repeated my question whether she had known it or not, "Huh?"

"Wait a second," a familiar voice spoke, it was the fan girl again, and she was more than a little irritated, "so the other nine questions were just a waste of time? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, no," Ibiki replied humorously, "not at all. Quite the opposite. The first nine questions had an important overwriting purpose." He looked at the crowd before continuing, "To test your ability to serve piteously gather strategic intelligence the most inverse circumstances."

"Oh," she said. I couldn't tell whether or not she was being sarcastic, but I would've been, "That clears up everything."

"Let me explain. You see, my objective was to test you not only as individuals, but as a _team, _and on how well you function as _apart_ of that team. That's why the test was scored on a _team_ basis, so that you know that everything you did, or _failed_ to do, would directly affect your teammates. I wanted to see how you'd handle the pressure."

"Mmhm," Naruto nodded, "yeah, I figured it was something like that, so that's why I kept my cool."

I rolled my eyes at the idiot.

Hinata quietly giggled, but I heard it. I couldn't help but smile.

"Idiot..."

I looked at the boy behind me and figured I'd mess with him a little, "You were pretty cool yourself, Inuzuka. Standing up for everyone like that."

"Yeah, well," my eyes widened just a little when I caught a light pink streak stain his tan cheeks, "it really what bogus about what he was doing."

"The first nine questions on the test were difficult," Ibiki continued without missing a beat. "In fact, you may have realized too difficult for any genin to be expected to solve. I expect that most of you quickly came to that conclusion," he pulled a hand free from his pocket, "that you'd have to _cheat _if you had any chance at passing. The fact is that the test was designed to encourage cheating. It almost demanded it."

"And you knew that right away, didn't you," the Inuzuka said, hushing his tone slightly, "Nekoshima?"

"Maybe I did," I shrugged casually, "or maybe I didn't. I just didn't want my team to fail when I had the needed knowledge."

"Of course," Ibiki went on, "it would've done you little good unless you had someone to cheat _from__, _so I disguised two chūnin who already knew the answers." One was waving and the other was nodding. "And had them sit in with you."

I grinned a little as I saw Naruto spazz.

_So, they were within the class the whole time. _I thought to myself._ Oh, well, I just got lucky that I was forced to read then._

The crowd muttered about Naruto's little outbursts, but it was pretty amusing.

"Oh, come on," the blond laughed nervously, "I wasn't fooled for a second. You'd have to be a complete doofus not to see it, isn't that right, Hinata?"

My friend just giggled and blushed like predicted.

"Those who were caught at it," Ibiki ignored Naruto's interruption, "failed. Better not to cheat than to cheat clumsily."

Ibiki took off his headband, and I felt myself suck in a sharp breath at the sight. He was bald, but his head was covered in scars and puncture wounds. Whether it be from kunai swipes and stabs or something else, I didn't know. It was a truly horrifying sight that he showed.

"Information. It can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather intelligence can tell whether the mission is a failure or success... There will be times where you have to risk your life to get it," he told us.

"Man," I overheard the Uchiha, "what a mess... Scars and puncture wounds, burn marks... What he must have endured..."

"That poor man," my voice cracked.

"Of course," he put his headband back on, "you must consider the source of information. Intelligence gathered from an enemy is not necessarily accurate. Always bear this in mind, disinformation can be worse than no information at all. It can lead to the death of comrades, or the loss of a village. That's why I put you in the position where you had to gather accurate intelligence. _Cheat_ in order to survive. And that's why those who weren't good enough at it were weeded out, leaving the rest of you."

"Okay..." It was the fan girl again, "but I'm still not getting what the tenth question thing is all about."

I resisted the urge to slap her.

_The idiot..._

"You're not?" Ibiki raised his arms slightly, "The tenth question was the main point of the whole exam. Surely, you see that."

"Sure," Sakura's idiocy strikes again, making me what to slap her more than the fan chick, "but explain it anyway."

"As I said before," his hands when right back into his pockets again, "the goal was to test you not only as an individual, but as part of a squad. The final question gave you two choices, both difficult. You could choose to play is safe, and skip the question, though, it meant that both you and your teammates would be failed. Or you could try and answer it, knowing if you got it wrong, you would loose your chance of ever being Chūnin. It was a no-win situation, but just the sort Chūnin have to face every day." He paced a little bit, "For example, let me give you a hypothetical mission to steal a document from an enemy stronghold. You have no idea how many ninja the enemy has, or how heavily armed they are. Furthermore, you have reason to believe that the enemy expects you, that you might very well be walking right into a trap. Now, do you have the option on taking a pass on this insane mission, of saying that my comrades and I would rather live to fight another day? Can you choose to avoid danger?"

I shook my head along with a few others amongst the crowd.

"No," Ibiki's eyes narrowed, "there will be many missions that will seem almost suicidal if you think about it, but they do not think about it. You think only of the goal and of achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a Chūnin squad leader. Those who choose the safer of two paths, those who's determination falters in the face of adversity, those who would put their comrades' lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own, those who would save their necks at the price of sacred honor, will never be able to call themselves Chūnin. At least as long as I'm here." His eyes grazed the leftover students, "As for the rest of you, you have successfully answered the ten questions I put to you. You have the right to continue on to the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the Chūnin Selection Exam completed. There's nothing left, but to wish you all good luck."

Me as well as the knucklehead jumped out of our chairs to shout, "All _right_!"

"We did it!" Naruto kept going, "That's one down! Yeah, yeah, woo-hoo!"

I noticed Ibiki look at the window seconds before it shattered.

A crimson curtain was set up to hide Ibiki from us as a woman stood on the teacher's desk like some kind of class clown-wannabe. She had light brown, pupil-less eyes, and violet hair which has a blue tint to it, which was styled in a short, spiky, fanned-ponytail. She wore a tan overcoat with a purple in-seam, which had a pocket on both sides, and complete with a fitted mesh body suit that stretches from her neck down to her thighs. She basically had no shirt on, being very revealing with her ladies*. She wore a dark orange mini-skirt, as well as a forehead protector, a small pendant that looks like a snake fang on a thick cord rather than a chain to prevent it from being easily torn off in combat, a wrist watch, and shin guards. She also wore a dark blue belt around her waist that connected to her skirt that has an appendage-like sash.

There was something odd about her scent, too. It leaked with something strange.

"Heads up, boys and girls." Her tone was cheery with an authoritative spike in it, "This is no time to be celebrating."

I looked at the curtain.

It said: _Here Comes the Second Test's Proctor, Anko Mitarashi._

"I'll be your next proctor," she introduced herself although the curtain already did that, "Anko Mitarashi. You ready for the second test?"  
She fist pumped the air, "Good! Let's go! Follow me!"

"She must be an idiot..." I sweat dropped at the woman. I heard snickering behind me and turned to look at Inuzuka again, "Yes, Mr. Laugh-O-Lot?"

"Nothing," he laughed, "just she reminds me a bit of you."

"Ehh?" I jerked back, "There is _no_ way that woman... girl... _thing_ is anything like me!"

"You're early," Ibiki poked out from behind the curtain, "_again_."

Anko's cheeks flushed a light pink, and her eyes looked rather annoyed.

The Inuzuka pointed at her, "Are you sure about that? She kind of pouts like you, too, Nekoshima."

My lip twitched in a snarl, "And how would you know how I pout, Inuzuka?"

"Well," he smirked, "I've seen it enough to know. We have known each other since we were kids."

"Pfft," I pouted with my arms crossed and cheeks puffed out, "you make it sound like we were friends or something back then."

He just rolled his eyes at me.

Chi snickered.

The adults were rambling about something to each other, but I didn't pay much mind to them anymore. I didn't like Anko's scent, so I was going to keep a steady eye on her. I don't want her messing with my friends, or _my _rival.

I never liked sharing very much.

Not even my enemies.

"This is gonna' be fun." Anko's smile melted into a frown as she called for attention, "All right, maggots, you've had it easy so far, but things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning. I'll let your squad leaders know where to meet me. Dismissed."

"Tch," I sneered at her. "C'mon, Chi, let's go get the boys."

"Okay," she purred before hopping off my lap.

I stood to my feet and stretched my sore bones. I started to walk away when a hand snaked my wrist.

When I turned to see who it was, it was the Inuzuka.

I gave him a questioning look.

"Sorry," he quickly let go, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything I've done to you over the years. I wanted to see if we could have a fresh, clean plate. Forget what happened in the past, and start over. Maybe even become... friends?"

"Um," My head jerked back a little at what he had just said, "where did this come from?"

He blushed a little, "I was thinking the other day about why we were always fighting, and I finally realized that it's stupid to be fighting against you for what my mother says instead of what I believe. You've never tried to start with me no matter how many times I've hurt you." The boy bowed to the waist, "I just wanted to apologize and ask for a fresh start."

I blinked, "Um... Okay?" I didn't really know what else to say, "I'll think about it, okay?"

"That's all I'll need," he grinned. "Thank you, Nekoshima."

I nodded to him before heading over to my teammates. They were eyeing the Inuzuka like he was the worst being in the world, which I understood why. They were going to have an interesting expression when I tell them what just happened, but for now, I needed sleep.

"Let's go home, boys," I grinned to my two favorite guys as I linked my arms with both of them and basically dragged them out of the room before anything else happened.


	17. Appearance At The Forest

My eyelids warmed, so I knew it was morning already. Groaning, I rolled over from the light. My uncle probably thought it'd be funny to wake up just to be blinded by the morning sunlight. He's a strange man to have for an uncle.

Weight was shifted on the mattress.

Chi was awake now.

She balanced herself on my side and mewled in my ear, "_Good morning, Miyu-chan! Today's the second part of the exam, let's get moving!_"

I pushed her off with my arm then pulled her against my face like a pillow. Her fur was softer this morning, like it was just brushed. I whined, not wanting to get up. I didn't know why, but my body refused to work this morning.

"_Miyu-chan,_" the cat whined as she wriggled, "_Wake up, you lazy bones!_"

I whined pathetically, "Noooo... I wanna' sleep."

"_Do you want to fail your exam,_" she sounded irritated, "_just to get a little sleep?!_"

I only opened my eyes half way, "Maybe."

"_What about Yoshimaru and Satoshi? Are you just going to let them down?_"

"Tch," I let her go and rolled back over, being blinded by the white light again.

It wouldn't have mattered if she had said that or not. I would've gotten up just as I was now.

I swung my legs over the edge of my bed and heaved my lazy butt up. I went to my closet and picked out a black skirt, grinning as I slipped it on. I rolled on a pair of fishnet leggings and black short shorts underneath the skirt. I put on my black tank top. Unhooking my kusarigama from the closet door, I looped it around my shoulders and into another X, hooking it to the belt loop on my skirt. I snatched a dark jean jacket and put it on before I closed the door.

I went over to my bookshelf and grabbed my kunai holster, my ninja pack, and a small saddle bag made of black leather. I ran a slender finger over the titles of my books until I found the one I was looking for and put it in my saddle bag. I checked to make sure Chi's food and water bowl were filled, then I went to fight with my hair.

Wincing at the hideous reflection, I attacked my brunette bedhead with the hairbrush until it was shaped the way I wanted. I grabbed a few ponytails from the little fairy statue on my desk and put them on both my wrists.

"_I'm ready_," a rather familiar purr caught my attention.

I turned around to see Chi sitting in the middle of the doorway with a big grin hooked on her kitty lips.

"Chi," I sighed, "I don't think you should come with me this time."

"_What?!_" Her grinned melted into an irritated frown, "_Why would you say that, Miyu-chan?!_"

"Do you know what kind of creatures could be in the Forest of Death?" I put my hands on my hips, obviously not getting out of this one without a fight, "Most likely big ones that could eat a cat like you in one bite!"

I held my index finger up for emphasis.

"_Does it really seem like I care about that, Miyu-chan?_" She started to growl, "_We've never gone a on mission without each other, and I'm not about to start now! What if you get hurt because I'm not there as your partner? Or even worse, killed! What then?_"

My lip twitched in a snarl, "You are staying here, young lady!"

"_I am not!_"

"You are, too!"

"_Not!_"

I grabbed her by her scruff, "You are,_ Chimamire._"

She winced at the fact that I used her full name.

_Chi_ stood for 'blood', but _Chimamire_ stood for 'bloody'. I named her that because when she found me, I was covered in blood from the incident. I was a bloody mess, but she stayed by me all night. Even when the rain started, washing the dried blood off my arms. I was upset, drowning myself in pity. The kitten ended up scratching me on the inside of my right forearm. She told me that I shouldn't be pitying myself.

The name seemed to have fit her perfectly for some reason.

I put her in the large animal carrier in my closet. I had removed the other items that had been in there, leaving a bowl of food and another of water inside with a small litter box. The carrier could actually fit a Saint Bernard inside, but that was because I customized it for situations like this.

I hated that I had to do this to her, but she would've followed me.

I had known her for too long to know that she would.

She growled and hissed, rattling the carrier as much as she could in attempt to escape.

I did my best to ignore her.

I hated it, but I had to.

I left the room, passing my uncle without a word as Chi yowled from her carrier. I put on my shoes and _ran_ to the Forest of Death gates despite my blurred vision. I had to stop these stupid tears before Inuzuka of all people saw me.

* * *

"Alright, Inuzuka," Satoshi said as Nekoshima's two teammates cornered the dog boy against a large boulder near the gates to the Forest of Death, "why the sudden interest being friends with Miyu?"

"Eh?" Kiba was at a lost for words.

He had just arrived after picking up some supplies from town, then, out of nowhere, these two appear, backing him against a boulder.

They were ready to interrogate, and they would do nearly _anything_ to get the answers they wanted. Kiba had always known how protective the two were to Nekoshima, but he didn't think he was going to get attacked so early.

Were they waiting for him?

If so, for how long?

The red-head, Yoshimaru, glared at him with his green eyes blazing with rage and a bit of curiosity flickering along the iris, "What are you benefiting from this?"

Yoshimaru had always had a disliking towards Kiba.

"_Benefiting?_"

"Well," Satoshi put one hand next to the right side of Kiba's head as Yoshimaru put his hand on the left side, "there must be _some _reason for suddenly wanting to be friends with our little Miyu."

"And we want to know what is it," Yoshimaru continued.

"I felt sorry for everything I've done to her over the years," Kiba told them, feeling his anger start to boil at their accusation, "and I wanted to make it up to her! Nekoshima's obviously been hurt before, and I don't want that to be because of me anymore. I've been wrong to have bullied her for so long!"

"So, it was pity? Not wanting to fully take the responsibility?"

It was a female's voice that froze his temper.

She was a silhouette in front of him, but he knew exactly who it was... and she sounded _mad_.

"No, that's not... what I meant," Kiba attempted to tell her, but she obviously wasn't going to listen.

He knew better because he knew how stubborn she could be when she's upset. He had never cared if she was mad at him before, but he's seen it towards other people.

He only felt something slid down his cheek, like a raindrop fell on him. Though, he knew it wasn't water because of the scent he caught and the crimson liquid on the girl's claw-like nails. He lifted a hand to his cheek, catching some of the liquid on his finger, then he brought it to his vision. He was right.

It was blood.

Fear shot through him as he looked into the deep purple eyes of the nightmare before him.

Wait...

_Purple?_

Her scent was different, no longer the scent of Nekoshima. It was similar to the girl's, but it didn't have the deadly scent as the one with the raspy tone. When she spoke, she didn't have that raspy tone or that whispered volume. It sounded like an older woman, "_To have thought that she was blinded by the possibility of an actual friendship. She'd rather have you as an enemy than for you to pity her like a child. You truly are nothing more than a little puppy._"

There was a pang of pain around his heart when she said that. He knew it wasn't Nekoshima, but it had to be her thinking it. He didn't know what this new thing with her was. It was really starting to freak him out, too.

"Ikari," Yoshimaru grabbed her arm, turning her to face him, "that's enough."

"_Yoshimaru,_" she smiled cruelly, "_there's no need to worry about that mongrel. I have no intention to kill him just yet. I'll save that for inside._" Her smile turned on Kiba, causing him to shudder, "_Hear that, puppy? You best be on your guard, keeping your senses sharp and your fur bristled. I'll hunt you down in no time at all._"

He didn't like the sound of that.

Not at all.

Akamaru leaped in front of his master, growling at the girl, "_Don't you dare come near him! Where's Chi-chan?_"

The girl cocked her head to the side as though she was being thoughtful for a moment before she answered, "_Chimamire? Oh, she had __ some business she needed to take care of._"

She was frowning now, seeming unhappy with the fact that she didn't have her feline partner.

Akamaru growled louder, baring his teeth.

Kiba was dumbfounded at his dog's actions.

Did Akamaru actually _like_ that demon cat?

Kiba knew that Akamaru had tolerated the cat, but he had never seen his partner act like_ this_ at the thought of the feline being stuck with something. It was strange to see. It was as if he and the cat had formed a friendship of their own.

"Ikari," Satoshi tried this time, "let's go before people start expecting something."

"_Fine,_" she replied as she sneered in Kiba's direction, "_but he better not think he's going to get away with betraying her. The girl was foolish to think of anything else, yet, she still trusted his word. She won't make that mistake again._"

Another pang.

With that, the trio walked away.

He only allowed himself to breathe when he could no longer see them amongst the crowd of ninja that were showing up to take their second part of the exam.

What had he done?

He was trying to play nice, trying to make peace for what he's done for all these years. He only got him a scratch to the face, but he knew it could've been worse. It was something deep inside him that told him not to talk back when this... this _demon_ appeared.

_No,_ he told himself. _The demon had silver eyes. Whoever that was had purple eyes. They're not the same. There's something going on with Nekoshima. I don't like the sound of either one of them either._

Akamaru whimpered and crawled into Kiba's lap, nuzzling his master's hand in attempt to comfort him. It did very little to easy his frantic mind.

A shy voice spoke out to him, snapping his mind away from what just happened, "Ki-Kiba-kun?"

"Oh, hey," he looked up to the speaker to find none other than his female teammate, "Hinata. What's up?"

"You're in-injured," she replied, concern filling in her light eyes.

Kiba was suddenly reminded of the scratch on his cheek.

Hinata had been treating him kindly after she got over the incident that had happened between Kiba and Nekoshima, but she was still hesitant towards him. It was like she wanted to help him but didn't want to at the same time. Kiba knew, though, that if another hissy fit (no pun intended) happened, then Hinata would be on the cat's side until the end. He didn't blame her either. He knew that they had been friends for a long time, but he wondered if Hinata knew about Nekoshima's demons.

He looked at the girl and plastered on one of his cocky grins, "It's just a scratch, nothing to worry about."

"It was M-Miyu-chan," her eyes fell to the ground, "wasn't it?"

"It was my fault, Hinata."

That caused his teammate to look at him.

It felt weird to even _him_ that he was taking the blame for something that had occurred between the two.

"You've be-been acting pretty stra-strange lately, Kiba-kun."

"I know," he replied.

He did know, but he didn't know why.

It was like something was changing him ever since he first saw that _thing_, saw the sad look in Nekoshima's eyes, saw her unconscious state. He remembered how peaceful she looked when she was sleeping. It was like nothing in the world could harm her.

It was different from how he usually saw the girl.

"Well, the second proctor should be showing up any second now," Kiba recognized his other teammate's scent before Shino even spoke as he walked over, "so I suggest that we move towards the crowd for now."

"Right," Kiba replied as he placed Akamaru on his head and got to his feet.

"Okay, Shino-kun," Hinata also replied.

Team Eight walked over, blending themselves amongst the crowd of eager and frightened genin. Kiba's mind still swirled with the thoughts of what had just happened.


	18. Reports At The Forest of Death

I had just been able to calm myself from my _shift_. I was glad that it had only been my teammates and that damned Inuzuka to have seen her. I felt my eyes travel over to my best friend as she chatted with Shino about something.

_I don't know what I would've done had Hinata seen Ikari._ I thought to myself, chewing my lip in anxiety. _Would she still accept me if she knew the truth? Probably not. It's stupid to think she would. I already proved that the Inuzuka was only pitying me. Wouldn't Hinata just do the same? She's too sweet, but she'd probably slowly withdraw from me, as if our friendship had never happened. _I looked up at the puffy white clouds floating carelessly in the bright blue sky_. Is that what happened between you and Tsume, Mom? Your best friend leaving you because of the person you love, it was horrible. Not only that, but you were murdered before you could ever make peace._

_Foolish child, that damned woman never gave your mother the time to make peace. _A feminine voice spoke in my head, her voice was as raspy as mine was when I'd shift._ After she married your father, Tsume refused to make connect in anyway with her. I know Tsume regrets it. All mortals do._

I froze.

I felt myself stammer as I spoke the only possible name, "I-Ikari?"

I knew my teammates were staring at me, but I ignored them.

This was the first time she actually contacted me in any way other than my dreams.

_Yes, yes, s_he replied, seeming annoyed, _it's me. Now, you need to stop pitying yourself about this, or else I _will_ make you shift and kill that damn dog right here and now._

My eyes widened. _You can make me shift? Without the use of blood? How is that even possible?_

_I am linked to you through our bloodline, child. _I could hear the sigh in her voice._ I will _not_ have that boy upset you. If he hurts you again, don't blame me when my temper flares._

_I-Ikari... _She seemed like she was really out to protect me. She cared about my feelings. She only really attacked anyone that seemed like they were out to harm me. I never hated Ikari, but I didn't like how she settled things sometimes.

_You know, _she told me quietly, but it seemed like she was hiding something, _I don't always appear when I smell their blood. I mean, yes, I love to get out of this little cage once in awhile, but I mainly come out when you're in danger, or upset, or if one of your precious comrades are in danger. That is, if you hadn't realized by now._

I did.

I did realize that she mainly shifted during those times.

_But,_ I started, _Ikari-_

_Quiet, child. _She shushed me._ The instructor is about to speak. Pay attention while you can so we can play later and not get disqualified. I like this game so far._

I smiled as I turned my attention to Anko Mitarashi. It was just like Ikari to lecture me like a mother figure then to go off talking about her games.

Anko had a hand on her hip as she smiled, "This is the location of the second phase of the exam. It's the Forty-Fourth Battle Training Zone, but we call it... The Forest of_ Death_."

The wind whistled as loose leaves rode it on their way to the ground. It put a bit of a sinister twist on thing, only making Anko smile wider as she looked from face to face. I guessed the scared looks of the genin amused her. However...

I wasn't one of them.

I simply smiled back to her as Naruto repeated the nickname, "The Forest of... Death?"

My ears pricked at the sound of something shuffling its way over to us. I pulled a kunai from my holster, moving my gaze to the direction of the sound.

I noticed a box that looked like it was supposed to be designed like a tan, odd-looking rock with black holes for eyes.

I sweat dropped as I caught their scents.

_Well,_ Ikari said, sounding sarcastic as ever, _I wonder who could_ possibly_ be inside_ that_ thing._

I snickered. _Be nice, woman! Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi are nice kids... But I wonder what their doing out here at a time like this._

She only snorted in my mind.

It was nice to be able to talk to her when she _wasn't_ trying to kill someone, or lecture me about being head of the clan, or trying to drain every drop of blood from their body.

She was an interesting conversationalist.

Amused, I watched as the box shuffled towards Naruto.

Naruto turned to see the box, and his expression turned sour with irritation. I watched with my arms crossed as Naruto started to walk casually away from the box only to have it follow him. He stopped, then he started running. The box sped after him to keep up.

After about ten more tries to outrun the kids, Naruto finally stopped and faced the box with one hand on his hip while the other pointed at the kids, "That's the worst disguise of all time. There's no such thing as_ square_ rocks. It's_ completely_ obvious."

_Well, if someone chopped up a rock in the shape of a square, then it'd be a square rock, wouldn't it?_ Ikari asked in a smart-alec tone.

_No,_ I replied, _it'd just be a cube or a block._

_Tch, whatever. I was just trying to prove him wrong._

_I know. _I smiled at the amusing thought of the _real_ Ikari getting into a conversation about rocks with Naruto.

A voice was a muffled from inside the box, but it was still audible, "You saw through my camouflage again. You're slick, Boss, just what I'd expect from my greatest rival!"

The wannabe-rock box glowed suddenly.

Then it exploded.

An indigo color smoke appeared, then yellow, then pink. I shook my head when I heard the kids coughing on all fours and talking about how they used too much gunpowder. They noticed that Naruto was still staring at them and jumped right to their feet.

The girl of the group, like the rest of the members of of a group known as the _Konohamaru Ninja Squad_, wore goggles just like Naruto did when he was a pre-genin. She had her orange hair tied up, with red elastics, into two very large pigtails. She also had red oval markings painted on her cheeks. She, though, saw me as a role model for the kunoichi she wanted to be. My teammates laughed every time she said it.

She leaped up and introduced herself, "I'm Moegi, the sassiest kunoichi in preschool. Check me out!"

I rolled my eyes at her.

_And I thought there was no one who could be as sassy as you were, Miyu,_ Ikari snickered this time.

_Tch,_ I thought back, _I'm still the sassiest girl that Iruka-sensei ever met. I don't plan on letting that change until I have a daughter of my own._

_I wonder who the father would be then._ I could hear the grin in her voice.

Before I could ask what she meant by that statement, another voice spoke up, "I love algebra, call me Udon!"

The second one to introduce himself made me cringe.

How could anyone love _algebra_ of all things?

Udon had short brown hair and dark eyes. He's characterized by the drip of snot always seen hanging from his nose. He wore a simple blue shirt which zipped up the middle, a pair of brown pants, sandals and a pair of goggles to represent his membership in the _Konohamaru Ninja Squad_ as well. He actually idolized Sasuke Uchiha, wanting to _be_ like the duck-butted male.

Finally, we had the ring leader, Konohamaru. The kid had short spiky brown hair and black eyes. He also had a small chip in his tooth. He wore a yellow shirt with the Konoha symbol in red, grey shorts, and a long blue scarf. He replaced his old helmet with the pair of goggles that I heard Naruto had given him, which started the goggle look for his group. He was the Third Hokage's grandson, but neither Naruto nor I cared about that when it came to disciplining him for his actions. Konohamaru looked up to me as an older sister figure, the same as the rest of his little group. He had Naruto as his role model, which I thought was a bad idea.

"And I'm the number one ninja in the village," Konohamaru had the same cocky tone to him as when I would hear Naruto say the same phrase, causing me to crack a grin, "Konohamaru! And when we're all together..."

They all chanted together, striking their own pose, "We're the _Konohamaru Ninja Squad!_"

Their goggles shined in the sunlight at the same time.

"Yeah, I knew it was you guys the whole time," Naruto told them, his arms behind his head in a lazy fashion. He looked down at them, "What do you losers want? I'm getting ready to take the second phase of the Chūnin Exam, and you're interrupting me. I don't have any time to be playing around with you guys _now_."

"We didn't come to play around, Boss. We're on official business," Konohamaru replied.

"Yeah," Moegi agreed, "that's right. We came here for an exclusive interview."

"Uh-huh," Udon chimed in, "uh-huh."

_Official business?_ I wondered. _Interviews, too?_

"An interview, huh?" I noticed Naruto take interest now.

Konohamaru put his hands on his hips, "We're here on an assignment to write an article for the academy's newspaper. It's a big-time featured story all about the Chūnin Selection Examination."

Moegi smiled innocently, "So, that's why we wanted to do an exclusive interview with you. Please tell us you're going to do it!"

"It would mean a lot," Udon bowed and sniffed.

"Yeah," Naruto dropped his hands and whined, "but right_ now_?"

"Hey, you over there," I turned my head to see the speaker. It was Anko, "What're you doing? You're holding up the exam."

"Uh, sorry," he looked up to her as she walked over to him, "but Konohamaru was telling me something about an interview for the academy newspaper."

Anko gasped, then her expression shifted from surprised to laughing as she scratched the back of her head, "Oh, yeah! I forgot all about it. Lord Hokage _had_ mentioned something about them interviewing me."

I was amused as Naruto sweat dropped when he spoke, "Interviewing _you_?"

"All right," Anko called out to everyone, "we're taking a ten minute break. For those that are scheduled to be interviewed, please be courteous and respectful to the reporters from the academy newspaper."

"I thought I was the only one being interviewed," Naruto was still looking up at Anko like she was a new species.

"No, Boss," Konohamaru pulled out a pen and notepad, "but you are the most important."

"Oh, in that case," I could hear the smile in Naruto's voice," I'll give you an interview that'll make it clear to your readers why I'm the greatest ninja ever."

I rolled my eyes and turned away with my teammates until something tugged the corner of my hoody. I looked over my shoulder to find Moegi looking up at me with puppy eyes.

I smiled kindly to her, "Yes, Moegi?"

She continued to look at me as she clung to my hoody, "Won't you let me interview _you_, too, Miyu? I'd appreciate it a lot!"

"Yeah," Satoshi started.

Yoshimaru finished for him, batting his eyelashes at me, "_Won't_ you, Miyu?"

With a growl, I slapped both of them.

They pouted with red hand-prints on their left cheeks.

I heard Moegi giggle at my idiots, but I shrugged. It wasn't anything new. They knew that if they teased me bad enough, I'd either slap them or I'd pout about it. They never knew which was coming, but they continued to tease me anyway.

Personally, I wondered if they _liked_ getting slapped sometimes...

* * *

He just snorted as he watched the girl from the group of kids chat with Nekoshima. He didn't know that she signed up to be interviewed.

Not that he cared, of course.

It wasn't like Nekoshima _had_ to tell him what she was doing. He didn't care about that _cat_ since she scratched him.

His blood was boiling.

It was mainly because he knew that it had been Nekoshima to scratch him and that thing showed up afterwards. It intimidated him to know that now she was willing to inflict pain on him and not think twice about it. It was new to him.

"Kiba," Shino spoke from his spot in the grass across from him, "what's going on? Why are you glaring at Miyu?"

"Why?" Kiba felt himself start to shout as he pointed at his cheek with the scratch on it, "Because that _cat_ scratched me, that's why!"

"Good," Shino seemed amused in a way that only made Kiba bristle even more, "it's about time she got a little revenge."

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

Shino's glasses shone in the sunlight, "Well, you never did like her much. You started to fluster about her recently, but now you're ticked off. Make up you mind, do you like her or not?"

"Hell no!"

"So," Hinata sighed sadly, "we're back at the beginning then..."

"It seems so, Hinata," Shino put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder.

He didn't really know what they were talking about, but he was too mad to care.

As he continued to glare at the cat-like girl, his eye started to throb.

Instinctively, he shut it and probed the sensitive eyelid. Kiba was still kind of bristled about it, but he was thankful that his sister covered the bruise with her concealer.

It started out with Kiba trying to break open the locked door, but ended with the triplets pinning him to the ground. His sister had to sit on his stomach to keep him from wriggling out of the dogs' grips as she added the stuff on. He didn't understand how girls could wear such weird stuff. It didn't even _smell_ good.

His eyes traveled to his female teammate. _I wonder if Hinata wears make-up like that..._

Hinata must have felt his gaze because she looked up at him, "Yes, Kiba-kun?"

"Do you wear a lot of make-up, Hinata?" Kiba had asked the question, but once it left his mouth, he instantly wanted to take it back.

It wasn't any of his business.

Why should he care?

"Ac-Actually," she blushed a light pink across the bridge of her nose and smiled, "I use to try to wear make-up, but Miyu-chan told me that I had a natural beauty that was rare to find. She told me, 'You shouldn't hide yourself behind a bunch of bat crap and skin-colored, lotion-like goop because you're shy, Hina-chan. It's okay once in awhile if you're going out somewhere or if you're trying to impress a crush one day, but if you wear it too much, you'll get acne like Sakura and Ino.'" Hinata giggled after that.

Kiba snorted.

_Her_ again.

How is it that whenever he talks to someone, that cat appears in the conversation?

Every time!

"It's true, you know," Shino was telling Hinata. "The make-up concealer will clog your pores, basically suffocating your skin."

Kiba looked oddly at his friend, "And howwould _you_ know that, Shino?"

"I asked Miyu why she only wore eyeliner compared to the amounts that the other girls wear, and she told me that. I looked it up, and sure enough, she was right," he shrugged.

Kiba rolled his eyes.

He noticed that Akamaru was unusually quiet and looked towards the ground for the dog.

He was nowhere to be found.

"_Akamaru!_"

The girlish squeal made his skin crawl.

His gaze shifted over to Nekoshima only to find Akamaru licking the girl's hand before jumping into her arms. Kiba watched as Akamaru licked her jaw. Nekoshima giggled and nuzzled his head with her cheek, calling him a '_cutie_' and a '_sweetheart_'.

_Traitor._

Kiba couldn't understand what Akamaru saw in those two cats. He didn't even know what _he_ saw in Nekoshima for a bit. It must've been a rebellious spark against his mother or something. He didn't know, but he didn't care. He didn't like her, and it was clear that didn't like him. It was no longer his problem with whatever kind of _mentality issues_ she had going on. Maybe she's just turning into a dang vampire.

She must've felt his gaze because soon those icy eyes were locked with his. An icy glare was sent his way, sending a chill down his spine with how cold her eyes looked.

He was the first to look away.

* * *

He heard a hiss behind him as he watched a giant snake eat a normal sized bird. He turned, expecting it to be that awful cat, Chi, but there was only Nekoshima hiding behind her two teammates. There was a low growl in her throat as Satoshi and Yoshimaru tried to calm her.

_Guess she doesn't like snakes, or maybe she's just like other girls and their crazy phobias._ Kiba told himself with a smirk._ At least now I know a new kind of weakness against her. Where is that devil cat, anyway?  
_

Kiba's eyes did a quick scan of the area around her, but there was no sign of the cat. What could've happened? Did the two get into a fight?

It was then that he remembered what the demon had said before the trio walked away from Kiba:

_"__Oh, she had __ some business she needed to take care of._"

The growling was cut short by a fit of laughter, taking Kiba's thoughts away, as Naruto started to mock the second proctor then told her to do her worst, that she wasn't going to scare him away. He was just being the normal Naruto.

Kiba felt himself roll his eyes.

_This girl is so_ _annoying!_

"So," Anko smiled, tilting her head a little to the side, "looks like we've got ourselves a tough guy." Within seconds, a kunai appeared just feet away from Naruto, and Anko was also right behind him. Kiba just barely heard her whisper in his ear as she wiped away some of the blood on Naruto's cheek, "You tough enough to handle this? You're not afraid, are you? Now, guys like you normally leave their blood all over this forest."

Feeling the hair stand up on his arms and the back of his neck, Kiba whirled around to see Nekoshima.

She was fine.

Her icy eyes still blue, and they didn't look crazy. Her hair wasn't bristled like a cat's fur. She whispered something unimportant to one of her teammates, and her voice wasn't raspy or sounding ten years older. Her arms were crossed, and she was standing straight.

There was no sign of a paranormal shift in the girl's body language.

Kiba forced his screaming muscles to easy their tension but didn't lower his guard.

_What the heck? _Kiba thought to himself. _It's not my problem anymore, so I don't need to freak out about that brat._

She shivered.

He noticed that she was wearing a thinner hoody than usual.

Was she cold?

Kiba watched as the girl moved behind Satoshi as though she were trying to hide from something. His gaze followed hers to find what he thought was a woman standing behind Anko, who was standing behind Naruto, with her long, snake-like tongue holding out a kunai for the proctor. Her hat was lifted in a greeting.

"I was..." she said creepily, "just returning your knife..."

"Why, thank you, Grass ninja," Anko was still smiling throughout the whole thing. There was a strange look being exchanged between the two before the proctor spoke again, "You know, I really only recommend you stand this close behind me... if you wish to reach a premature end."

With that, Anko took the kunai from the woman's tongue. The tongue retreated back to the woman's mouth like a rabbit to its hole.

"My pardon," the woman replied. "With the sight of blood and your blade slicing through my hair, I'm afraid that I just became a little _excited_. I meant you no harm."

"_I don't like her,_" Kiba heard Nekoshima say. "_Her scent is_ weird_, and she's creepy. I don't trust her at all._"

Yoshimaru grinned, "Miyu not liking something creepy? That's a first, right, Satoshi?"

"Yeah, that's how you know something's wrong," Satoshi agreed, nodding.

"_Anko-sensei has a similar scent to that woman,_" Nekoshima hissed under her breath to where Kiba had to strain to hear her. "_I know they know each other somehow. I don't like this... I really don't, guys._"

She was shaking now.

"_Naruto..._" Kiba heard Hinata say with that worried tone in her voice.

Kiba put a hand on Hinata's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze as the Grass ninja walked away, "Hey, it's okay. There's nothing to worry about."

She nodded, but she still had a doubtful look in her eyes.

Anko walked back to the front then turned to everyone, "Now before we begin this test, I have something to hand out to you all." She pulled out a stack of papers from inside of her trench coat. "It's just a standard consent form."

Silence.

"Before the test," she continued, "all of you are going to have to read over this form, and then sign it."

"What for?" It was Naruto who asked.

"Some of you may not come back from this test," she explained, "and I have to get your consent to that risk. Otherwise, it'd have to be _my_ responsibility."

She started laughing.

No one else was amused as the murmured their displeasure.

_Seriously?_ Kiba thought, staring at the laughing woman like she was insane. _She's allowing us to risk our lives for this test, but she won't take the responsibility? Kami, she's going to be disliked._

"Now," she went on, "I'll be explaining what you'll be doing at this test."

She told Naruto to hand out the consent forms.

"The first thing you need to know is that this test attacks every _one_ of your survival skills," she said before showing everyone the contents of a reddish-brown scroll. "First, I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The Forty-Fourth Battle Training Zone has forty-four locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the center is a locked tower located ten kilometers from each gate. It's in this confined area that you'll undergo the survival test." She rolled up the scroll with one swift movement of her wrist and hid it back inside her coat before she pulled out two different scrolls, "The test consists of... Anything-Goes Battle to get your hands on these scrolls."

"Both of them?" Someone in the crowd asked, sounding a lot like Sasuke Uchiha.

"Yes." She held out both of them, "You'll be fighting to get both a_ Heavens_ scroll and an _Earth_ scroll."

There was a white scroll with the Kanji for _Heaven_ (天) on a light gray stripe with a dark blue band above and below the Kanji. The second was a dark blue scroll with just the gray band, holding the Kanji for _Earth_ (地) on it. They were both obviously important, but Kiba was curious to why.

"All together," she said, "twenty-seven teams will be taking part in this test. So, half of those teams will be going after the _Heavens_ scroll, and the other half will be trying to get the _Earth_ scroll. There will be one extra of one of the scrolls due to the extra team. I'll hand over one kind of scroll to each team, and that's what you'll be vying for."

"Okay," Sasuke spoke up again, "so how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire squad must bring both a _Heaven_ and an _Earth_ scroll to the tower," she answered loud enough from everyone to hear.

"That means," Sakura, spoke up, "at the very best, half of us will fail. More if not every team is able to get the scrolls."

Anko raised a curious eyebrow at Sakura, "No one ever said it'd be easy."

"_That idiotic pinkette..._"

Kiba turned to see Nekoshima face-palm at Sakura, glaring at the girl. Sakura must've been a real annoyance towards her. He'd only ever see her glare at him that way until now.

"Oh," Anko caught his attention again, "and one more thing. The test has a time limit."

"_Oh, that's just _lovely_,_" Nekoshima muttered, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"You must finish it in five days," Anko said, ignoring Nekoshima as she put the scrolls in her coat again.

Kiba wondered how many things could be in there. It reminded him slightly of Nekoshima's hoody, and how the girl always hid some kind of weapon in there. It would've been in the sleeves, the hood, pockets on the inside, pockets on the out, something wrapped around her, or even something taped to the inside. There was always _something_ in the girl's hoody.

_Great,_ Kiba thought with a small growl, _not only am I never going to hear the end of Nekoshima from my teammates, but now she's stuck in my thoughts. That's just_ fantastic_!_

"Just look around," Anko was telling someone, "the forest is full of things to eat. There's plenty to feed all of you."

"Yeah, but," it was that Kabuto guy, "that's not all the forest has plenty of. There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there."

Choji whined, "Oh, maaan!"

"Quiet, down," Ino scolded. "This is why it's called survival, you know."

"That means," Neji, Hinata's cousin, spoke, "with these circumstances there's no way half the teams will pass the tests."

"With the days getting longer," the guy in a weird jumpsuit next to him said, "the nights are getting shorter. So, we will have less time to sleep and less time to recover..." The guy grinned, "It is a challenge, indeed!"

"Oh," Nekoshima shook her head, "there you go again, Lee!"

Sasuke spoke again, "Completely surrounded by enemies. There won't be time to rest, we'll have to keep a constant watch."

"Meaning there's going to be shifts for sleep," Satoshi added.

"Right," Anko had her hands on her hips. "This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is _designed_ to be a grueling test, and I'm sure some of you won't be up to the challenge."

Shikamaru raised his hand, "So, um, let's say mid-exam, can we quit?"

"_Lazy,_" Yoshimaru muttered.

Anko turned to Shikamaru, "Of course not. In the middle of a battle, you can't say, 'Sorry, I quit'." She grinned then, "Well, I guess you could, but it's probably going to get cha' killed."

"Oh, just great..." Shikamaru sighed, "This is gonna' be a drag."

Anko ignored him, turning back to the crowd, "There are also some ways you can get disqualified."

_Of course there is..._

"The first is simple," she held up her index finger, ticking off each number, "if all three members of a team can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after five days. Number two, if a team loses a member, or if a member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue. But most important, none of you, absolutely _none_ of you, may look at the contents of the scrolls until you've reached the tower."

Naruto stared at her, "What if it just happens flap open and you read it?"

"Let me put it to you this way, young man," Anko was pointing at her mouth. "You. Don't. Want. To. _Know_."

He groaned.

"There are times," Anko went on again, "when a ninja will be asked to carry secret documents. The scroll rule is to test your integrity. Okay, we're done. Each team take your consent forms and exchange them for your scrolls. After that, each team pick a gate, and you'll be let inside."

Everyone looked at the gates around.

Anko sighed, "Oh, and I have one more word of advice... Just don't die!"

"Good thing we don't plan to do that any time soon, right, team?"

Kiba could _hear_ the cocky grin in Nekoshima's voice.

It made him smirk, knowing that he'd be able to outdo her easily.


	19. Release The Hounds And The Felines

I sat on a branch in a tree that Hinata was leaning against as she looked over the consent form. I leaned back against the tree trunk as well, though, she had no idea I was up here.

At least, I didn't think she did.

I had signed my consent form, agreeing to risk my life for the purpose of something as stupid as this test. I was glad I decided not to bring Chi into this mess, but I was a little upset by not having my partner here like Inuzuka had Akamaru.

The dog was such a sweetheart to try and cheer me up, though.

I heard footsteps near closer to the tree, turning my attention to find Naruto walking over to Hinata. I snickered as they started chatting about something until Hinata said something about the boy's scratch. She started to dig in her bag, probably looking for the medicine we had been working on last night. We had made just enough for two batches, one for each of us.

She had just found it and held the container out to Naruto, but he was already walking away. I could almost hear the low growl in the back of my throat as my friend looked down at the medicine. The disappointment in her pale eyes were unbearable.

"All right, everyone," a male's voice caught my attention, causing me to turn my head towards it to find a man poking his head out of the red curtained post, "we're going to start handing out scrolls."

_Covering up the post so no one knows who has what scroll._ I smirked as I slung my saddlebag back over my shoulder. _That's a very smart move. Now we'll have to guess randomly and pray that we're right, or else we went into a unnecessary battle._

I watched Hinata walk away from the tree before I hopped down. I noticed that Inuzuka was glaring at me. I shot him an icy glare right back before I turned my nose up and headed towards my own teammates.

Satoshi and Yoshimaru were sitting at the base of a tree that was farther from most of the other genin. As I neared them, they got to their feet and waved at me. I sent them a smile, which they returned before walking the rest of the way over to me.

I got on the balls of my feet, or my paws as I liked to call them, and spun my back to them to walk away. They soon caught up to me with Satoshi on my right and Yoshimaru on my left. We walked together over to the post to hand over our consent forms and receive the first scroll.

By the time we got over there, Hinata and her teammates were walking out.

Hinata waved shyly at me, and I waved the two-fingered peace sign at her.

Shino nodded, which I returned.

Akamaru barked happily, telling me good luck.

I grinned at the puppy.

Then there was the Inuzuka, he just glared. I smirked at him and ducked into the post. My teammates waved their greetings before following me.

"Here you are, my good sirs," I smiled to the two men as I handed them our consent forms.

"Here's your scroll in return," the first man started, revealing a Heavens scroll in his hand.

The second one finished for him, "And good luck with the test."

"Aye, aye," Satoshi, Yoshimaru, and I saluted to them after I put the scroll in my saddlebag.

"Listen up," Anko shouted as we walked out of the post, "all of the teams have received their scrolls, so everybody go to your gate and wait there. When the gates open, the test is on!"

With a nod from each of my teammates, we headed to the gate with our lucky number on it.

Sure enough, no one was there yet.

It had the same number as our squad, too.

Eleven.

I caught a few familiar scents nearby. It smelled like Naruto's ramen breath, Sasuke's hair gel, and Sakura's perfume. They must've been at either Gate Ten or Twelve. I turned my head toward Ten only to have the scents grow slightly fainter. I turned my head towards Twelve for the scents to grow slightly stronger.

I grinned.

Satoshi was looking at me curiously, "What's so amusing, Miyu?"

"Yeah," Yoshimaru agreed. "You start shaking your head, then you grin. What's up?"

"Pinkette, Duck-butt, and Loudmouth," I told them simply, "are at Gate Twelve. I caught their scents."

Yoshimaru fist pumped the air, "All right! That'll be easy pickings then."

"No," I shook my head, "I want the Rookies to stay together."

"Are you sure, Miyu?" Satoshi asked, ignoring the disappointed-looking Yoshimaru.

"Yeah." I grinned brightly at him, "I wouldn't be able to stand it if someone else was given the prize of kicking Inuzuka's or Pinkette's butt."

"You know," Satoshi started.

Yoshimaru seemed to have known where he was going because he finished for him, "From how it looks, you might just have a crush on the dog boy."

I snorted, "Sorry to disappoint, but there's _no_ way I'd fall for an insensitive mutt like him. He hates me, and I dislike him. That's all there is to it. Our clans have been enemies since the beginning, and they always will be."

"The tragic tale of_ The Dog Boy and The Cat Princess_!" Yoshimaru dramatically placed his hand against his forehead, leaning against Satoshi for fake support, "Will the mutt _ever_ realize his _true love_ has been on the side he's _always_ known as enemy territory? Will he _finally_ find her beauty beyond the hatred?"

"You'll just have to wait for the movie, Yoshimaru," Satoshi grinned.

The chūnin watching the gate chuckled at my idiots. Irritation spiked my temper, and I beat the crapped out of both of them as embarrassment burned into my cheeks, staining them pink.

"That _mutt_ is _not_ my Sea Prince!" I shouted at them, stomping them into the dirt with my foot.

"Are you kids ready?" The chūnin called out to us, holding the lock in his hand.

"Yes, sir," I nodded as my idiots got to their feet slowly because of their new bruises.

"All right," he grinned at us as he unlocked the gate. "Good luck."

The chains fell with gravity, but the chūnin just kicked them aside.

"All right," Anko's voice shouted once again, "heads up, you maggots! The second part of the test had begun!"

The chūnin had just pushed the gates open before my team ran through.

Once we were close enough, we leaped into the air and jumped from branch to branch. We continued until we reached a small clearing, then jumped down. I looked at each of my boys. They had excitement pulsing in their eyes, causing me to break into a smile.

"All right, boys," I said, "let's plan out."

"Right," they replied with a nod.

"Miyu," Yoshimaru poked my forehead, "we're going to need your eyes and ears."

"Sorry," I muttered.

I closed my eyes then imagined myself with black cats ears and a tail. The tail lashed around, keeping me at balance. The ears twitched, listening to every bit of sound going on around us. I could hear bugs buzzing, the wind whistling, birds chirping, snakes hissing, leaves rustling. I could hear growls from predatory animals. I could hear...

Footsteps.

They weren't slow either. They were running farther away as though they found they prey to hunt already. I ignored them because they weren't coming towards us.

I opened my eyes, feeling my pupils narrow into slits.

I could see plenty.

There were no enemies around.

I looked to my teammates and nodded, "We're clear."

"Good," Satoshi took control. "First, we'll need to locate the other scroll."

Yoshimaru nodded, "Yeah, but the problem is that we'd be randomly picking who we attack. We have to avoid unnecessary battle as much as possible. We can't allow ourselves to become weak from fatigue or injury."

"Right." Satoshi turned to me, "Is there anyway you'd be able to tell if someone had the scroll we needed?"

I snorted, "I'm a Nekoshima. I may be close friends with Hinata, but that doesn't mean I have the Hyūga clan's Byakugan. My eyes are icy, not white."

"Sorry," they both said.

"Telling by the sun's position, it's about six-fifteen," I warned them.

"It's so dark in this forest..." I heard Yoshimaru say, "You wouldn't have been able to tell the time just by sun's position."

I pointed at my narrowed pupils as I turned to my teammate, "Cat."

He pointed at himself and Satoshi, "Humans."

"Then it's a good thing that you've go me with you, huh?" I grinned.

They rolled their eyes at me.

_Snap._

I felt my invisible ears prick up as a low growl entered my throat. My teammates looked at me, understanding flickering in their eyes. My invisible tail lashed even more. I felt my hair bristle slightly as the sound of footsteps neared us.

"Man," Yoshimaru said as he pulled his arms from the sleeves of his jacket, "am I cold!"

I knew he was forming a jutsu.

What kind?

We'll just have to wait and see.

Satoshi smirked at the other male, acting like everything was normal, "You're such a wimp with temperatures."

I listened carefully to the newcomers.

They were approaching quietly, their footsteps faint against the dirt but still audible. I heard kunai knives being unsheathed from their holsters. I forced my sense of hearing to listen more closely as another weapon was unsheathed from its slipcover, which smelled like polished leather.

_Good girl._ I heard Ikari's praise. _You're smart for relying on the Nekoshima's senses. They're as good at the Inuzuka clan's, if not better. Now, listen carefully, child. How many? Count them by their breathing. Focus on the scent of their breaths_.

I listened.

I caught their scent.

_Two._ I thought, more to myself than to the woman in my head. _That's not right... Squads are made of three people, but I sense only two behind Satoshi and Yoshimaru... Where could the third be hiding?_

I felt my lip twitch in the form of a snarl in my frustration. Knowing that it was probably a stupid move, I turned my back to my teammates. If these guys think their smarter than us, then they'll strike when our guards are down.

Within seconds, I heard the sound of metal slicing through the air.

I growled.

Quickly, I formed the _Substitution Jutsu_.

Appearing next to my teammates on a tree branch that was high above our new _friends_, I watched as the substitute fell limply to the ground. The two newcomers walked out of their hiding spot cautiously. They were both male.

"Kyoshi," one said, a bald guy, "go check out the Emo kid."

Satoshi growled as a lanky kid scooted towards his body.

He wasn't anything special. A timid boy wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was bright green enough to rival with Shino's coat and gray pants. He wore round, thick-rimmed glasses, but I could see the worried look in his brown eyes. His hair was a dark green hair that fell to his shoulders, feathering around his square face. A Stone Village headband was on his forehead in the usual fashion.

"H-He's empty, Takeshi," the skinny kid, Kyoshi, reported as he went to Yoshimaru's body next.

The bald guy, though went to my body. His face was an oval shape with a visible scar on the right side of his neck. He had gray eyes that held no readable emotion. He was well-toned and muscled. Obviously the brawn of the trio so far. His lips held a frown at all times. He had an earring on his left ear, too. Takeshi wore a purple v-neck with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, revealing a Stone headband wrapped around his right bicep. It looked like there was a fishnet tee underneath. He wore matching purple pants that completely covered his legs. Black, fingerless gloves covered his hands with metal plates on the knuckles. A katana was his left hand.

I watched as Takeshi felt up my limp substitute. I heard him swear under his breath as he stabbed the body with the katana before throwing two more at Satoshi's and Yoshimaru's bodies.

_I guess he_ does_ have some brain._

"_Not good,_" I heard Yoshimaru say under his breath.

"_Satoshi,_" I turned to my friend after analyzing the opponents, "_can I go play?_"

"_We don't know what the third member could be like,_" he replied, revealing the wary look in his eyes. "_I don't want to risk it._"

"_If I go in, they'll either try to capture me, kill me, or feel me up. Sooner or later, pretty boy is going to show up soon._"

"_She has a point,_" Yoshimaru said in a defeated tone.

"_I know,_" Satoshi looked frustrated, "_but-_"

"_Satoshi,_" I held warning in my tone as I asked again, "_can I go play?_"

With a defeated sigh, he nodded. He knew better than to argue with me when I was determined. I had a plan. I wasn't stupid enough to go in this without one.

Sorry, but I wasn't like Naruto.

Grinning, I leaped down from the tree. I walked to the clearing again, revealing myself to the enemies. Their guards were up as I stopped just a few feet away from them. I smiled innocently to the idiotic males before smoothing out my short skirt.

"Hi, boys," I winked at them.

"It's... a g-girl," Kyoshi stammered, a light blush filling his cheeks.

Takeshi looked me over, leveling his katana at me. He said nothing.

I shrugged, taking one of the bands off my wrist and tying my short hair into a ponytail that laid at the base of my neck. They continued watching me, the tension growing.

"So, how's your day going?" I grinned, hoping to bring some of it down.

"This is a test, girl," Takeshi's deep voice didn't surprise me due to his appearance. "Why aren't you fighting?"

"Well," I tilted my head slightly, "you're not attacking _me_, are you?"

His eyes narrowed, "Are you mocking me?"

I couldn't help my smile spreading a little, "Maybe just a little, big boy."

"I'll show you not to mock me!" Takeshi raced towards me, his katana ready.

I waited calmly with my hands behind my back until he was just about to strike me. Just before his katana could touch me, I sidestepped and lifted my leg like a standing split. I brought it straight down on Takeshi's back in a quick movement, hearing the crack of bone as he broke into the earth.

I turned my attention to Kyoshi.

He was in an awkward stance, the kunai knifes shaking in his hands. I cartwheeled until I was about a foot in front of the boy before I twisted my body, balancing on my palm, and kicked him in the jaw which sent him into the air. I pushed off the ground. Just being able to reach, I grabbed the boy's arm, hearing a popping sound from it before using my momentum to turn him until he was under me.

With him staring wide-eyed at me, I sent my fist straight to his chest.

The boy fell at a rocket's speed into the ground. He wasn't going to be getting up any time soon. I grimaced at the thought of possibly breaking an arm or rib on the skinny kid. He was fragile, so it didn't seem to hard for his bones to shatter like glass.

Someone whistled approvingly behind me, "Who would've thought that such a pretty lady could do such damage with just her legs."

I turned around, smiling, to face the new enemy.


	20. Chimamire's Hunt

"_Kami dammit, Chimamire!_" A familiar growl entered the room, bringing the white feline's thrashing to an abrupt halt.

"_Kyarako-sama!_" Chi grinned cattily to her elder as the calico feline sat in front of the carrier.

She was mostly white with a few patches of black and orange appearing on her body as though someone had thrown permanent paint on her. Kyarako was Hikaru's partner of about twelve years now. Hikaru had actually found Kyarako wandering the streets as a kitten the day before Miyu was born.

"_Miyu-chan left you in here for a_ reason_, Chimamire,_" Kyarako glared, looking like she had just been awakened from her catnap.

"_Well,_" Chi snapped back at her, "_she should've known better! We've went through each and every mission together. This is no different. This Chūnin Exam is just another mission._"

Kyarako pawed at the ground as if in thought, "_She's probably doing well. Miyu is a strong spirit despite what happened, but we don't blame her. It had been years of torment for the child._"

"_You'd be acting the same way as I if it came to Hikaru,_" Chi growled bitterly, turning her back to the other feline and looking down at her own paws.

"_That's why I'm going to let you out._"

Chi hopped to all fours, whirling around at Kyarako. She was giving Chi a motherly smile as she stood to her paws. The white feline watched at the calico walked towards her. The older feline took the carrier's hook of the hook-and-eye lock in her mouth and, in one swift movement, pulled the thing out of the eye.

Chi ran out, rubbing herself against Kyarako as a thank you.

The elder licked the marking between Chi's ears as she purred, "_Go, Chimamire. Go to your partner and protect her. You two will always be more powerful together than apart._"

Chi nipped playfully at the calico before running towards the open door. She paused at the doorway and looked over her shoulder, flickering her tail, "_Thanks a lot, Kya._"

With that, Chi bolted out of the room like a bat out of hell. She ran past Hikaru on his way to his room in his frog slippers. She was already hopping out the open window near the front door when she heard his, "Good luck, Chi."

_They planned this._ She told herself with a wide grin.

* * *

Chi had just found the place known as _The Forest of Death_. She looked around to see some chūnin-ranked adults sitting around and looking more bored than Naruto would've. She walked up to the first adult she saw, which happened to be that idiot of a female proctor, and meowed at her. She had been eating some weird sphere-shaped things on a stick.

She remembered Miyu calling them _dumplings_ or something like that. They smelled too sweet for her taste.

The woman looked down curiously at the feline then broke into a small smile, "Oh, hey, it's a cat."

"_Human woman,_" Chi meowed, "_why did you let_ my_ Miyu go into that forest without me? Do you even_ know_ who I am? I am_ Chimamire Nekoshima_. Remember that, darn you. Next time don't let her_ anywhere_ unless you see me with her. Capiche?_"

The woman just crouched down and tilted her head, "Are you lost, little fella'?"

Growling her frustration, Chi scratched Anko's hand, "_Are you an idiot? I'm clearly a_ girl_! Stupid humans, I will never understand how Miyu can put up with you all so easily._"

Chi ran past Anko as the stupid woman swore under her breath and straight for one of the gates. She pawed at the ground in front of the gate, meowing loudly at the guard.

"Sorry, little one," he said with a sweat drop, "that's no place for cats."

"_I am a_ ninja_ cat,_" she growled.

"Let it go," Anko's voice commanded.

Chi turned to look at her.

She saw the woman's eyes flickering amusement and a bit of anger as she cradled her wounded hand, "That cat is obviously trying to find someone in there. Go ahead and let it through."

As the guard unlocked the door, Chi sent Anko a thankful nod. She rubbed against the guard's leg before she dashed in.

She ran hard, and she ran fast.

There was a scent lingering in the air still. She followed it, knowing who it belonged to.

Hinata.

The feline continued to run until she heard painful screams from some of the genin within.

She paused, listening.

Her ears flickered.

When they were no more, she continued.

She leaped over large logs and dodged an occasional attack from one of the predators that were bigger, but not smarter, than her. Had she not have been hunting for her mistress, she would have torn into the beasts with her sharp claws.

"_Chi-chan!_"

It was a dog-like howl.

Chi smiled at the thought of Akamaru, pushing herself to run faster until she came to a clearing where the dog and three genin stood. She saw the dog and instantly pounced him, rolling with him in the dirt.

"_Akamaru-kun!_" The cat squealed and purred.

"_Chi-chan!_" The dog repeated, his tail thumping the ground like a hammer.

Chi nuzzled her doggy friend, rubbing her body against him in greeting.

"Ch-Chi-chan?"

This time it was Hinata's shy voice.

Chi jumped into the girl's arms and licked her jaw affectionately.

"_Oh, Hina-chan,_" Chi purred loudly, "_I've missed you so much. I need to find Miyu-chan. She left me at home and came here. I'm worried. Hina-chan,-_"

A snort interrupted the feline's rant.

Instinctively, she hissed at the Inuzuka boy. Her ears folded back in distaste at the male she's known to be an enemy. It was ironic for a dog as sweet as Akamaru to be partnered with a mutt like the Inuzuka boy.

"If she left you at home," he glared right back, "then that _cat_ probably had a reason for it."

"_Don't you try speaking ill of_ my _Miyu in front of me,_ dog_,_" Chi gave him a deadly growl.

"Why would Miyu leave her home?" It was the bug boy, Shino, that asked as, Chi assumed because of the glasses' direction, he stared at the Inuzuka. "She's like you and Akamaru when it comes to Chi."

"M-Maybe," Hinata stammered when she spoke up, cradling the feline carefully as she found her voice, "she didn't want Chi-chan to get hurt...?"

"Yeah," Inuzuka sneered, "then she shouldn't be a ninja cat if her partner doesn't want her to take the heat."

Chi went into a blind rage when he said that. Everything when into snapshots for Chi's vision. She leaped out of Hinata's arms, lunging at the male. He attempted to swat her away, but she clung to his arm. He flailed aimlessly. Chi latched onto his face. She smiled cruelly at him before tearing his face to shreds.

Inuzuka grabbed her scruff and tossed her aside. Chi rolled in the dirt for a moment before catching herself and getting to her paws.

She bristled at him, lashing her now-fluffy tail around angrily and sent a deadly growl, "_Take me to Miyu!_"

He wiped some blood of his face from his new scratches as he shouted back at her, "No way, you _demon_!"

"_Then I'll stay with_ you_ until we meet with her,_" the feline narrowed her pupils until they were merely slits surrounded by bright green.

"Why don't you just track her yourself?"

"_And possibly get killed in the process?_" Chi continued glaring at him, "_You obviously don't understand what would happen to Miyu if that were to happen._"

"I don't care about that dang girl!"

"_Then ma-_"

Chi was cut off by Akamaru's growl, "_Liar!_"

The dog stood in front of the bristled cat, watching his master with knowing eyes.

"Akamaru," the boy snarled, "I don't care about _her_."

"_You and I both know that's a lie, Kiba,_" Akamaru continued growling. "_I know you get mad at the thought of her possibly getting hurt. I know that you care. I know that you whimper in your sleep because of nightmares of something happening to her!_"

He flinched.

It was a surprise to Chi, too.

She tilted her head, staring at the boy. She was searching his eyes now, looking for something in them. She looked for any sense of truth in her canine friend's words about the boy.

There was worry.

He didn't hate Miyu. He does care about her. He's just too much of a proud puppy to admit it, even to himself. As much as he said that he didn't care, he was only trying to prove it to himself more than anyone else. He was failing at it, too.

"_Take me to her,_" Chi said again but in a softer tone.

"Fine."

Chi grinned, "_Thank you, Inuzuka._"

"You owe me big time, cat," he glared down at her.

His teammates just looked at each other.


	21. The Other One

Kiba was irritated with the satisfied look on the demon cat's face as she crawled into Hinata's hood the same way she would with Nekoshima. His teammates still glanced at him once in awhile, questioning his sudden agreement to the cat's plea. Kiba was just happy that neither of them spoke animal. He was frustrated because now he had to hunt down the one person that he didn't want to see.

"K-Kiba-kun," it was Hinata that attempted to break the silence.

He snapped back at her, "What?!"

She squeaked and shied away from him a little. She looked nervously to the third human in their party then looked to her feet as they stopped on one of the branches they were leaping through.

"You shouldn't talk to Hinata like that because your conflicting again, Kiba," Shino replied to Kiba's snappy attitude as he put his hands in the pockets of his mint green coat.

"Well," he growled and pointed at the white furball in Hinata's hood, "it's that dang cat. She keeps looking at me and smirking."

"How is that any different from what Miyu does to you?"

"_Yeah, Kiba,_" the cat smirked again, watching him with knowing eyes, "_how is it any different?_"

He wanted to pull his hair out, "It's something about those two that just drives me crazy! I can't stand them."

"_Kyaaaaaa!_"

Some girl was screaming. She sounded horrified.

"Tch," Kiba snorted. "Looks like someone's going to get killed in this test."

"_Miyu!_"

The shouts of two males made his blood turn to ice.

"_That's it!_" The cat growled, bristled, as she leaped from Hinata's hood and bolted, "_I'm going to kill someone!_"

Hinata ran after the cat with Akamaru at her heels, "Miyu-chan!"

"Let's go, Kiba," Shino said, chasing after Hinata.

Kiba nodded as he followed.

* * *

As the Kiba and Shino tailed Hinata in her race towards Nekoshima's scream, they came to a small clearing. The white cat was nowhere to be found. Two bodies were on the ground near two logs of wood and what looked about twenty kunai and shuriken in random spots. There was blood on the ground... and a book?

"Satoshi, Yoshimaru," Hinata whimpered, standing between the two guys.

One of them stirred at her voice.

"H-Hinata," it was Satoshi, "M-Miyu... she was... taken..."

Yoshimaru turned his head slightly towards his teammate with a weak smile, "They... beat us... pretty well... eh, Satoshi...?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"Where did they go?"

Kiba's eyes widened at the demanding tone in Hinata's voice. That's how they knew she was determined and serious about something. In this case, she was going to hunt for Nekoshima whether her teammates helped her or not.

Kiba and Shino knew it, too.

The female turned around to face her teammates, and Kiba was shocked with how much anger was twisted in her usually kind face, "Are you with me or not?"

"I am," Shino nodded.

Kiba knew that Nekoshima was a close friend of Shino's. She was one of the only females that didn't run away from him. Actually, she enjoyed looking at the varieties of bugs. She just didn't like the pranks Shino would pull with spiders. Other than those, she was fine with basically any other bug. They were like a toy to her.

The girl was everyone's friend except his.

Hinata's eyes landed on Kiba's, "Are _you_?"

Kiba still couldn't accept that he was slightly worried over Nekoshima's disappearance, "Why should I?"

"Then stay here," Hinata said nothing more before activating her Byakugan and running after the missing cat.

"You idiot," Shino's eyebrows furrowed at him before the bug boy chased after Hinata.

Kiba sighed.

He was alone with Nekoshima's protective teammates, even Akamaru had left him in the search for the girl. Kiba went over to the guys and moved them one by one over to a large tree, sitting them up against the base of it.

Once the two were propped against the tree's thick trunk, he went over to the book. Curiosity had gotten the better of him, so he had to take a look at it. He picked up the torn hard-cover book, dusting some of the dirt off it. He read the title.

The Sea Prince and The Fire Child.

The title was familiar. He thought back to where he might have heard it before and remembered the day he had spied on Hinata and Nekoshima in that garden. There was a pang of pain in his heart as he remembered the conversation between the two.

_Nekoshima shook her head, "How can I like someone that hates me?"_

_Kiba watched as Hinata covered Nekoshima's hand with her own, "It's like that book you're so crazy about The Sea Prince and The Fire Child, how the two people from completely different worlds were able to fall in love despite their differences."_

_"That's a fairytale, Hinata," Nekoshima told her with a slight frown. "It makes no sense in the real world. Nekoshima are cats, and Inuzuka are dogs. Cats and dogs are not suppose to intertwine. It's basically a law between our clans."_

Kiba put the book in his pouch. There was no point in leaving the book were it had been found when the owner would be looking for it soon. Little would that owner know that he was going to be holding on to it until then.

He walked back over to the two guys. He sat down in front of them and dug through his bag, cursing at himself under his breath. He moved the book around in his attempt to search for some of the supplies he needed.

One of them coughed.

Kiba looked up to see Satoshi watching at him with curious eyes. Yoshimaru seemed to have fallen asleep or unconscious. Kiba didn't know, but it did worry him a little.

"Yeah?" Kiba went back to grab what little medicine he had and started to apply it to Yoshimaru's wounds first.

The redhead was out like a light so he'd be easiest to deal with at the moment.

"Why do..." Satoshi seemed to hesitant on what he was trying to say, causing Kiba to raise an eyebrow at the other male. He grimaced, "Why do... you hate Miyu so much?"

Kiba said the same excuse his mother had always given him, "She's a cat, and I'm a dog. We're too different. We're natural enemies. She's hates my clan, so I hate hers. It's just territorial instincts mixed with the natural hatred between the species we partner with."

Satoshi snorted and looked away, "She talks about you, you know?"

"Probably all the worst of things, right?" Kiba asked, but he couldn't help the fluttering going on in his stomach.

"Nah," the other male grinned a little, "she may say trash about you to your face, but she really does try to be your friend. She talks about how well you've been training and how well Chi and Akamaru get along. She says that she admires you in a way."

"Really?" Kiba's body paralyzed itself as he was finishing wrapping up Yoshimaru's ankle with a bandage.

"Yeah," his expression fell somber, "that's why it really hurt her when she thought your little confession was just out of pity. She doesn't like receiving pity from anyone, especially not her rivals. It makes her feel weak. She's been through a lot, she's been beaten down and threatened. After all that, the only thing that hurts her most is being pitied and having her loyalties broken."

Kiba was clutching the roll of bandage wrap like it was a lifeline. He couldn't explain the feelings going through him as he growled, "It wasn't out of pity..."

"She thought it was with how you were talking."

"Well, you guys were interrogating me like I was an A-rank criminal!"

"We're protective," Satoshi growled back. "You have no idea what that girl has been through."

Kiba felt something snap inside of him, "That's all I ever hear about! 'Oh, poor Miyu, she's been through so much!' or 'You have no idea what she's been through!'" Kiba narrowed his eyes at Satoshi, "It's about time someone finally told me what happened to her that was so tragic! Does it have to do with the Nekoshima Massacre? Is that it?!"

Satoshi's eyelids lowered halfway as he said a quiet "Yes..."

Nothing more was said between the two as Kiba bandaged Satoshi up. He looked partially like a mummy by the end of it. The boy had been injured, but it was nothing severe. The same went for Yoshimaru, too. The darker teammate of Nekoshima had been watching him the entire time.

"Look," Satoshi said finally, "you saw the girl with purple eyes, right? Did you see the one with silver?"

He froze.

The other male sighed, "I was afraid of that..."

"So," Kiba looked at him, "you know about them?"

"I've grown up with them," he said. "Ikari is the one with purple eyes."

"Then why was everyone calling the silver-eyed one Ikari?"

"Miyu doesn't know about the other," he told Kiba. "She knows of Ikari because that's the one that visits her dreams. She knows nothing of the silver-eyed one, who the team calls Shirubā. We know nothing about it either, other than it appears that the scent or taste of Nekoshima and Inuzuka blood."

"Then is she possessed?" Kiba couldn't stop himself form asking.

"We don't know. It's been that way since before either of us knew her." Satoshi looked him in the eye, "If you see the Shirubā, you run. Ikari is harmless compared to that thing. Miyu has kept a tight grip on both of them, but she has no idea that there's two. Even Ikari has kept the other one a secret from her."

The dog boy stay silent again for a long moment as he thought over the sensible information he had just been given about an insensible girl. He had always knew something was off about her, but he never expected this. He always questioned her sanity, not the ability to be possessed by unknown beings.

It wasn't suppose to be his problem. He was suppose to hate her, and she was suppose to hate him. That's how they were raised since they were born. That's how they should grow up.

Then why was he more worried about the girl's safety than before despite the freaky information he had just heard?

Why is she suddenly wrapping about his mind so easily?

"Go," Satoshi told him.

Kiba looked at the guy like he had finally cracked, "What are you talking about?"

"You're obviously worried, so go." Satoshi rolled his eyes, then gesture to the brighter teammate with his shoulder, "I can take care of Yoshi over here."

"But you're injured."

With a grin, Satoshi pulled out a kunai, "I still have some fight in me. Worse case scenario, I use Yoshimaru's secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?"

He lifted Yoshimaru's left wrist to reveal a large golden bracelet that was about four inches thick. Satoshi pushed a button on the gold band, causing it to move in half and a miniature needle shooter to lift itself from the small compartment. It made Kiba jumped slightly at the fact that it was pointing at him.

"Now go, you idiot," Satoshi ordered.

With a nod, Kiba ran.

He ran faster than he ever thought he would after the girl.

The girl he was taught to hate, but secretly didn't. He couldn't stand her, but he couldn't imagine life if she wasn't there making some smart-alec comment about him. She was the person that angered him enough to make him want to work harder. To prove himself better than what she said he was.

Kiba crashed into a tree at the sudden thought that finally hit him like a brick:

She made him stronger.

* * *

**(A/N): For those of you who don't know, _The Sea Prince and The Fire Child_ is basically a Japanese version of _Romeo and Julie_t written by the famous William Shakespeare. Here's a small summary of the book that Miyu is so obsessed about:**

**Years after the war between the Children of Water and the Children of Fire, Oceanus, a god of the sea, presents Prince Sirius with the eye of Algarock, thereby putting him in charge of those that dwell under the waves. But when Sirius encounters a beautiful Fire Child named Malta (the daughter of the Queen of Fire), he is lost in love and defies the law that states that Children of Water and Children of Fire must forever remain separate to prevent war from breaking out once more. Sirius and Malta struggle to be together while running into obstacles and suffering great losses along the way. But in the end, are the echoes of history too loud to overcome, or can the two lovers be united and bring peace to the land?**


	22. Payment

I felt pain as I started to wake. It felt like I had cuts and bruises all over my body. I tried moving my wrists, but they were bound together by what felt like rope. The same went for my ankles. I tried to open my eyes, but it was as though my body refused to work with me. I tried to remember what happened, but my mind was drawing a blank.

"Well," a feminine voice spoke with a slight chuckle, "I _greatly_ appreciate the work you've done for me, Ryuunosuke."

Ryuunosuke.

I felt something click in my head with the spoken name._ I remember now!_

* * *

_Someone whistled approvingly behind me, "Who would've thought that such a pretty lady could do such damage with just her legs."_

_I turned around, smiling, to face the new enemy._

_He had dark, spiky hair that was similar to the Sound ninja from the first exam. Unlike the Sound ninja, this stranger had a Stone Village headband around his right thigh, parallel to his kunai holster on his left thigh. A left-handed enemy. He had a oval-shaped face with a pointed nose and dark eyes. He wore black pants that came down to his mid-calf, a gray shirt with an unusual symbol sported on his left side where his heart would be. The boy had fishnet sleeves under his shirt that stopped just before it reached his palm. Nothing special about him._

_He returned my smile as he bowed to the waist, "My name is Ryuunosuke, or Ryuu for short. May I ask the name of my feminine opponent?"_

What a polite boy. _I could hear the bloodlust in Ikari's tone. _I can't wait to destroy him.

_I curtsied, keeping my eyes on the newcomer, "Miyu."_

_"What a lovely name for a lovely girl," his smile never left his lips._

Are you fricken kidding me? _I thought more to myself than to Ikari. _We're suppose to be fighting, and this guys is flirting with me.

_Ikari laughed at me. _How is that so different from you teasing the boys before him?_  
_

_I ignored her._

_"Well," I pulled a kunai from my holster and readied myself, "shall we begin?"_

_"I suppose," he seemed a little disappointed. "I really don't want to hurt you now that I see you have such a pretty face, but orders are orders."_

_"Orders?" I looked at him, puzzled._

_"From a little kitten down the river," he cooed._

_"I'm the only cat around these parts, pretty boy," I growled._

_"Ah, ah," he sang, wagging his index finger at me. "You're forgetting a little girl that starts with the letter 'R'. She really doesn't like you, Miyu-chan. I don't know why because I find you quite the pretty girl."_

_My eyes widened as a name flickered my memory and rolled off my tongue, "Rin..."_

_"So, you do remember," Ryuu smiled. "That'll just make this easier."_

_Shock overwhelmed me, "How could she even be aliv-"_

_In a quick movement, he disappeared, cutting off my words. _

He's so fast!

_I shook my head, trying to shake off the surprise and focus back on the enemy at hand._

_Pain shot at the back of my neck. My vision goes black. The only thing I could hear as arms lifted me into the air were the shouts of my teammates calling my name._

* * *

"I feel bad for having to knock out such a pretty girl," Ryuu's voice sounded sympathetic as I felt him watching me. "I pity her."

Rage built up in me.

_Breathe, Miyu._ Ikari's voice tried to soothe me, but it didn't work. _We'll get our revenge soon._

I licked my lips, feeling that it had been split without me being aware. I could taste the crimson liquid's iron flavor on my lower lip. It made my tongue tingle oddly.

"It seems like our guest is awake," the feminine voice spoke again.

"Well," Ryuu spoke, the feeling of being watched leaving me, "I'd like to take my payment, and I'll leave you to your business, Rin-chan."

"Oh, yes," I could hear the smile in her voice. "Your payment..."

There was a cry of pain that slowly drowned back into silence.

"Pity," Rin said, "and he was kind of cute, too."

Footsteps neared me.

I froze, completely unaware of what to do.

"Miyu Nekoshima," she said my name with complete disgust in her tone, "it's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Without needing to see it, I knew she was glaring down at me. I probably looked pathetic, laying in the dirt and bounded by rope or string. Yoshimaru and Satoshi would be ashamed to have me in their squad. Misaki-sensei would be ashamed to have me as her student any longer.

My eyes snapped open finally.

I looked around for my teammates, but they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like I was the only one that they wanted. Of course. If it was the same Rin that I knew, then I would be the only one that they would want. She would've ordered my teammates killed. She would love to see me suffer.

I saw Ryuu curled up on the ground, unmoving, with a puddle of red liquid spreading away from his body. My nose scrunched at the familiar scent of blood as it soaked into the dirt. It wasn't a pleasant sight to see a boy my age lying dead just feet away from me.

I may have thought the boy was strange, but he had no reason to die. He followed the orders he was given, though, he didn't know much about the boss he was working for.

I knew better than him.

I wasn't as naive as he was.

Then again, I was the hostage here.

He was not.

The boy was oblivious to what he had fallen into before his death. He should've had the upper hand with how quickly he had knocked me, and possibly my teammates, out.

_Teammates._

I glanced around for Ryuu's group, but they were leaning against a thick tree trunk with smirks on their faces. Takeshi and Kyoshi were grinning at the fact that I was going to get the pain I had given them. They weren't part of Ryuu's squad, they were part of this girl's. She was the ringleader like I was with my own.

I looked up to the girl in front of me and analyzed her for confirmation of her identity.

She had copper-colored hair in a pixie cut that was close to her head with her bangs waving towards the left. She had bright green eyes that rivaled with Yoshimaru's mossy ones. The girl wore a black camisole with a dark green and black plaid, pleated skirt. She wore black sandals instead of the common navy. She had her kunai holster on her right thigh. Rin had her Sound Village headband around her waist, similar to Ino.

There was an ash-gray cat with black stripes at her feet, hissing at me with bristled fur.

I was bound and at the mercy of my past.

"Rin Nekoshima..." I smiled coldly, feeling my lip split back open.


	23. Survivor

"It seems like you do remember, _Oni_," Rin smiled cruelly to me.

I licked the blood from my lip, feeling a small burst of rage begin to boil, "And it seems like your name still fits your cold personality."

"Well," she sneered, "at least I was able to have my partner before the massacre."

"Right," I looked over to the bristled feline, "like that little kitten is going to do much against me."

In reply, the feline scratched my cheek with a growl, "_I've been waiting to meet you, Miyu Nekoshima. My mistress has told me so much about you. She's stored so much hatred for you that I'm glad we'll finally put an end to her suffering. You're nothing more than a monster._"

I watched the strange feline's copper-orange eyes as they burned with hatred, "You're just a fuzzball with nails."

Rin grabbed my hair, pulling me to my knees and jerking my head back so I could look at her, "How dare you insult Kira like that!"

"_Kira,_" I repeated with a smile. "That's a fitting name. A feline with a heart full of darkness for a cold little girl."

The back of Rin's hand made contact with the cheek that wasn't scratched. I felt the blood rush, turning the new sensitive area red. I had accidentally bitten down on the inside of my cheek during the connection. Blood slowly filled my mouth.

I spat it in her face, aiming for her eyes.

Target hit.

I jerked my head down, pulling the blinded girl down towards me. I moved my bound legs from under me, slamming them into the back of her knees as my butt hit the ground.

The cat hissed.

I lifted my legs, looking like I was sitting in an invisible, tipped over chair on my back, and kicked the cat in her face.

Sadly, I missed.

Kira had leaped at the last moment, running up the length of my body until she was standing on my chest. The gray feline lifted her paw, ready to strike with her claws out. I growled at her.

I was about to bash my forehead against her skull when a white blur knocked Kira off me.

"Chi!" I shouted my feline's name as she faced down with the other feline.

Chi was bristled from head to tail. Kira was bigger in weight, but that just meant she was going to be slower. Chi was analyzing her opponent as they circled each other.

"Miyu-chan!"

A quieter voice shouted, causing me to turn my head towards the sound.

_Hinata._

My eyes widened as she ran towards me.

A pair of legs stepped in front of me before Hinata could get within five feet.

"Sorry, missy," I could hear the coldness in Rin's voice, "but you're not allowed to get in my way!"

With a battle cry and a kunai in hand, Rin charged at Hinata.

"Hinata!" I cried for my friend.

"Gentle Fist!" Hinata shouted, slapping away each of Rin's strikes.

My eyes allowed me to see blasts of bright blue chakra flew from Hinata's palms with each counter attack. Rin's face twisted more with anger as she started to realize that she needed a different strategy. She started using a combination of multiple jabs, kicks, punches, strikes.

Hinata blocked them all.

I felt something tickling my own palms. I wriggled my wrists during their fight, noticing that the rope felt thinner than it had just a few moments ago.

I looked over my shoulder to find a mass of small insects crawling over my hands, chewing at the rope. I grinned slightly as I realized that they were the Aburame clan's kikaichū beetles. I looked down at my ankles to see the same thing happening.

Turning my attention back to the fight, I saw Hinata in the air with blood on her chin. Rin was above Hinata, grabbing her wrists. There was a flip then Rin flung Hinata towards the ground. She was falling at a high speed.

Using what little strength I had left, I snapped the ropes and bolted towards the falling girl.

I leaped into the air with my arms stretched in front of me, "_Hinata!_"

Weight fell into my arms.

I wrapped Hinata close to my own body, twisting so that I'd receive the impact of the fall.

Pain exploded into my back leading into my chest. I clutched Hinata's shoulders out of the pain as my body continued moving backwards. I forced myself to sit up before another burst of pain was sent through my back. I gasped as the air was knocked right out of my lungs.

Black fuzzed around my vision as I saw Rin's form saunter over to us.

I looked over to see Shino on the ground with Rin's lackeys stood over him. Takeshi had a foot on Shino's back while Kyoshi was giggling crazily.

My grip on Hinata tightened.

Rin was no more than six feet away now.

"Rarf!"

I saw Akamaru leap and clamp his jaws on Rin's calf. She yowled before scruffing the dog and tossing him to the side like a rag doll. Akamaru slammed into one of the trees, landing on the ground with a soft wasn't moving.

"_Akamaru!_"

He wasn't moving.

Hopefully he was only unconscious.

I screamed at the top of my lungs the one name I know would activate now that she was fully rested from our last shift, "_Ikari!_"

My vision went completely black.

* * *

When Kiba made it to the edge of another clearing, he heard all the shouting. He put on the brakes, using the running momentum to pivot himself behind a tree as a mass of what seemed as purple chakra flamed around a silhouetted person. Kiba peeked from behind the trunk to find two females circling each other like the two cats just feet away from them.

The girl engulfed in purple was carrying something in her arms like a bride.

He looked around the two girls to see Shino on the ground with a muscled bald guy and a weak-looking, shy guy standing over him. Akamaru was lying still at the base of a tree. Kiba looked for Hinata, but he didn't see her until the purple girl set the thing in her arms down.

Hinata had been knocked out cold.

The was a cry of anger that bellowed from the purple-chakra girl as she disappeared from view, then she re-appeared behind the second female. She threw the other female to the ground, locking her arms behind her with a knee on her lower back. Kiba's eyes widened as he got a better look at the purple girl's face.

It was _Nekoshima_.

_No,_ Kiba thought with fear turning his blood cold,_ it's Ikari._

"Well," the other female smiled mirthlessly, "if it isn't the demon, _herself_, Ikari."

"_You know very well what you, and the rest of that clan, have done to Miyu to have brought her to that point,_" Ikari's voice was powerful, making Kiba feel like he was being scolded despite that she hadn't even glanced at him. "_It was you, her own clan, that abused her since she was born._"

Kiba felt his mouth open as he listened closely to the conversation between the two females. It was obvious that they hadn't recognized him yet, or if they did, they cared more about each other's presence that his.

"We were only treating her the way a _demon_ should be treated," the other sneered despite the pain that was clear in her eyes.

Ikari growled loudly, pushing the other's wrists higher up her back until she yowled in pain, "_You believe that a girl that has never harmed even a fly until that day deserved to be known as a demon?! What does that make you then, Rin? The Devil?!_"

"I'm a _survivor_!" The other, Rin, shouted as she suddenly jerked her body to the side, throwing Ikari off balance. Rin rolled to her feet at the same time as Ikari and pointed an accusing finger at her, "I went through hell after _you_ destroyed the clan!"

Kiba's body went into shock.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't even breathe.

_Nekoshima was the murderer of the Nekoshima clan? No,_ he thought, _that's impossible. She's never been able to hurt even _me_, and I'm her _enemy_!_ Kiba's hand automatically went to his cheek. _Other than this little scratch and that one punch, I've never seen her hurt someone purposely. She couldn't have-_

His thoughts were cut short as Ikari's quiet voice reached his ears, "_Yes,_ _I killed the clan..._"

There was something in her tone that let skepticism nag at him.

"You were a _fool_ not to have checked to make sure you killed everyone, though," Kiba could hear the harhness in Rin's voice. "I was lucky to have been at the park that night. I was thinking constantly, 'Why was _Miyu_ the head of the clan's daughter? Why couldn't it have been me?'" Rin looked away from Ikari as though the sight of Nekoshima's body repulsed her, "When I returned, I found you standing in the middle of everyone's bodies. Including my parents."

Ikari's quietness turned into a deadly growl, and her voice changed when she shouted, "It was the _clan_ that killed my own parents!"

Kiba's eyes widened as he heard _her_ voice.

Rin's head snapped back to attention as she shouted back in anger, "Your parents wouldn't have been killed if they had just let you _die_! _You_ should've been killed, not the clan! The clan didn't deserve this! _You_ did!"

"Did you think I was going to let them get away with killing my only true family?" Nekoshima's voice was blunt, her face veiling any emotion, "The _clan_ wasn't my family. They were my enemy! They wanted me dead since the day they found out I had Ikari mingled with my soul."

Rin laughed drily, "Soul? You have no soul!"

"If I had no soul," Nekoshima's pupils narrowed into tight slits, "then you'd be dead by now instead of speaking."

"As if!"

"Then let's finish this then, Rin," Kiba watched as Nekoshima moved her hands into the hand sign for _Tiger_.

"_Oh,_" Rin grinned crazily as she mimicked the motion, "how fitting. We'll finish this with the clan's precious jutsu."

"Aye, you worthless trash."

The felines that were feet away jumped away from each other and moved to their masters' sides. They were bleeding, limping, and still bristled from their own battle. The cats seemed to know what was exactly going on, but Kiba didn't have a clue.

The girls shouted at each other in unison, "_Nekoshima Style - Cat Binding Jutsu!_"

Kiba watched as Chi's body shrank into a tiny ball of glowing white light. The light floated until it was in front of Nekoshima. Chi's light sank into Nekoshima's chest as the air just above it rippled like water. Kiba's gaze shifted to Rin to see a gray light going into her.

His eyes flickered back to Nekoshima as white ears grew from the top of her head and a white tail slid out from under her skirt like a snake. Rin had the same effects happening to her except gray with darker toned stripes. Their tails as bristled as the cats that went into their bodies. Their ears flattened in distaste. Green and blue eyes shining with deep hatred as the girls glared at each other.

They both went down on all fours, letting their animals instincts kick in.

Rin was the first to attack.

She ran towards Nekoshima at full speed. Kiba watched as Rin leaped into the air with her left arm pulled back like she was going to try landing a punch. Though, instead of a fist, she had her fingers bent like she was going to scratch Nekoshima with those extended nails.

As she fell towards the ground, Nekoshima jumped up towards her with her right arm pulled back and ready to maul the other girl. Kiba had never seen the look in her eyes before.

It was complete hatred and anger that washed over her icy eyes.

Rin struck out her hand at the same time as Nekoshima. Kiba watched in shock as the other girl scratched Nekoshima's cheek and Nekoshima completely missed the target!

Nekoshima smiled cruelly, showing sharp canines.

His eyes widened as he saw Nekoshima dug her nails into the back of Rin's neck, causing the other girl to yelp.

The girls struggled against each other as Nekoshima twisted them so that she was above Rin. Nekoshima brought her knees to her chest then quickly straightened to her full height, sending a painful kick to Rin's stomach. The other girl flew towards the ground at such a speed that Kiba thought he would've missed it if he had blinked.

There was a crater where Rin had hit the ground.

Nekoshima pulled out handfuls of kunai knives and shuriken as she started towards the ground. She threw them at into the crater where their was a small scream. Nekoshima landed on all fours, then a black blur popped out of the crater and tackled Nekoshima onto her back. The girls rolled, struggling for someone to end up with the upper hand. Their tails lashing about furiously.

"Rin..." Kiba heard Nekoshima's voice as the girls continued rolling in the dirt, "You've... tortured... me all my... life!"

"Well," Rin gritted her teeth, "You... killed my family!"

"You're... an idiot!"

"You're a... monster!"

"You'll... never understand... why, will you?"

"There's... no possible... excuse to justify... what you did!"

Nekoshima pinned Rin to the ground by her wrists, "I know that, but there's no excuse to justify what they did to me either!"

"There's no reason for it to be justified." Rin glared at her as she hissed, "We were trying to rid a _demon_ out of Konoha. We ended up paying a price that we shouldn't have."

"'We', 'we', 'we'," Nekoshima mocked her. "You say 'we', but you weren't even there. You strut around, proud as a peacock, but you had nothing to do with anything other than the torture I went through." Nekoshima growled with flattened ears, "You're right. I was a fool to have allowed you to live, Rin, but you're the idiot that doesn't know how to understand. You have a one-track mind."

Rin just smirked at her before her body turned into a puff of smoke.

"A clone!"

Kiba saw Rin stalking behind Nekoshima.

His body reacted before his mind could register as his legs forced him to run towards them. He threw himself in front of Nekoshima's back with his arms spread out wide as he glared at the other girl.

Pain shot through his shoulder as the kunai was plunged there, "Gah!"

Kiba fell to one knee, gripping his right shoulder.

"Kiba!" Nekoshima had turned around to see him as the blood soaked into his jacket.

"Oh," Rin's face scrunched up in disgust with her ears flattening as Nekoshima leaned him against herself, "you're friends with the _mutt clan_? You betrayed the family by killing them, then dishonor them by helping this_ mongrel_?"

"That's enough, Rin!" Nekoshima shouted as she cradled Kiba against her.

He didn't really understand why, but his shoulder hurt more than it should have from a little kunai stab.

He kind of liked having Nekoshima worried about him, but he didn't like the tears bubbling in her eyes. Her tail was no longer bristled, and it was wrapped protectively around his side. Rin stood to the side with her hands behind her back as Kiba reached up and wiped Nekoshima's eyes. He watched in awe as a dark sapphire color leaked from her pupils until it covered her iris, leaving no trace of the icy blue.

It was a beautiful sight to see. There was no coldness, just warmth and worry. Tears dripped onto his cheeks and rolled off the side of his face. He wasn't use to the girl crying over him. She was normally crying _because_ of him.

"Why are you crying?" Kiba tried to laugh, but it hurt, "Don't tell me that... you're becoming a big baby now, Nekoshima."

"You're... You're an idiot, Kiba," she nuzzled his cheek as more tears came with her ears pointed downwards like a sad kitten.

He never expected her to get so close to him, or so worried over something as little as a wound to the right shoulder. He caught her scent, and, for some reason, it seemed intoxicating this time.

It only made him want to nuzzle into her neck and inhale more.

The wound throbbed, but her scent made it easier to deal with. It was so comforting that he felt like he was going to fall asleep. Kiba shut his eyes, allowing sleep to take away the pain and leave only her scent.


	24. The Nekoshima Massacre (Part 1)

"Poor little mutt," Rin said with fake worry, pouting out her lip, as I nuzzled against the dog boy's cheek. "He'll earn the same fate as your parents for the same reason."

After I laid the boy on the ground, I forced my head up to look at her, feeling anger twist my face and my ears flattening, "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, nothing really," Rin waved it off casually as her tail swayed from side to side. "I just soaked my kunai here in a special poison that sends pain throughout the wound until it travels through your bloodstream, slowing killing you." She looked at him and shrugged. "Looks like another one is going to die because they wouldn't just let you be killed. "

I lunged at her, knocking the kunai away and pinning her to the ground, "I'll _kill_ you for what you've done!"

Her green eyes were wild with insanity. The gray ears on her head twitched in curiosity. She was smiling, but there was nothing warm about it, "C'mon, _Oni_. Do it."

I sat up on her stomach as my tail lashed around, looking down at her, "You've gone mad."

"Wouldn't you if everyone you cared about was killed by someone you hated?" She grinned wider, "That's what I'll do if you don't kill me. I'll destroy everyone that you love and care for." She tilted her head back, looking at Hinata's unconscious form, "Starting with that little one over there."

I felt the hairs on my arms stand as my tail bristled in anger. I reeled back my right arm and released, punching her in the cheek. All my strength went into that single strike.

Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes were shut, and she seemed unconscious.

_Finally._

I glared down at her, "I've already too much Nekoshima blood shed on my hands for my liking. I don't want to kill anymore. I want you to leave Konoha and never return, Rin. You and Kira will go to another village, one far from this one. If I ever hear of you stepping foot in Konoha after the exams, then I will hunt. You. Down."

I stood to my feet, leaving her body there in the dirt, and walked over to the Inuzuka boy. I put my hands together to form the hand sign for _Tiger_ again.

"_Release,_" I whispered.

I inhaled deeply as the white light escaped from my chest. It lowered to the ground before taking Chi's form. Her white fur had been dirtied from her fight with that muscle head of a feline. Blood dried, looking similar to the dirt. She limped for a moment, but then she was fine.

She looked up at me, worried, "_You're not really going to, are you?_"

"Does it look like I have any choice?" I returned her gaze, "I'll take the poison out of him, then, hopefully, the Nekoshima blood will work it's healing powers on him."

The concern didn't leave Chi's eyes, "_Are you ready for this? Neither of us know how he's going to react, so we're going to assume the worst._"

"It's the risk I'll have to take," I sighed. "I can't let him die like this, not when he risked himself to save me."

Chi looked around before stopping in the direction that Shino was laying in, "_Seems like the lackeys were knocked out by the blast._"

"Good," I replied as I knelt down to Kiba's side. "That means we'll be left alone for now."

I unzipped his jacket, revealing layered armor underneath. I felt an irritating heat cross through my cheeks as I stripped the boy down to his plain torso. I was actually pretty surprised to see the beginning formation of abs on his stomach.

"_I'm going to go check on Akamaru-kun while you obsess over this_ dog_,_" Chi sauntered over to the actual dog at the base of another tree.

I rolled my eyes at her before bending down and re-opening the wound in Kiba's shoulder with one of my claws.

I looked up at his face, but he was out.

I sighed, feeling the heat on my face burn more as his body heat radiated onto me.

Without another hesitation, I sucked the blood out of his shoulder, spitting it to the side.

I felt the beginning of a shit start to take over. My vision was starting to blur and fade black. My mind was growing fuzzy from the other being trying to force her way through.

_No,_ I demanded, pushing the feeling away. _Not this time_.

I willed my spirit to stay in place and fight against the shift. I couldn't allow it to happen now. It would mean the end of the boy if it happened. The boy wound be covered in blood by the time I would recover from it.

My tongue started to feel slightly numb as I continued the process, but my vision was going back to normal. My mind remained focused on the task at hand.

_Just get it done and over with, Miyu._ I encouraged myself as I spat out another mouthful of blood._ It's either you get the poison out, or the boy dies. You can't let another one die because you were weak._

A sigh entered my mind, and I knew it was Ikari. _Why don't you let me do it? I'll make it go faster._

_No way, Ikari._ I mentally growled. _You might take too much. I know how you get when you get blood after we've shifted._

_You're lucky that I'm not taking over without your permission, girl._ I could only imagine her crossing her arms and pouting at me.

I ignored her from that point on.

I had just spat out about the fourth mouthful of blood before my tongue was completely numb from the poison. I lifted Kiba's head and placed it on my lap. Not trusting my mouth anymore, I dragged a sharp claw over my wrist. I let a few drops fall into my own mouth before opening Kiba's and holding my wrist to his lips. My blood poured like crimson honey into his mouth.

He coughed, trying to push my arm away.

"Shhh..." I spoke quietly as I ran my free hand through his hair in attempt to soothe him, "Just drink it. It'll help you."

He stopped struggling.

I felt his tongue lick the wound as though he were trying to mend it like a dog would. I smiled down to him and continued combing through his unruly hair. I didn't need him struggling while I was trying to heal him.

* * *

_Kiba woke up with a start, tasting blood in his mouth. He looked at his surroundings to find that he was in a neat, little bedroom. There was girly furniture around, so he obviously wasn't in the forest anymore or even his own room. His teammates, Nekoshima, or Akamaru were nowhere to be found. Their scents were still around him, though._

_He noticed a bed in the far off corner._

_Slowly, he got to his feet. His body felt sore all over, like he had been training the day before. Kiba's hand instinctively went to his shoulder as he crossed the room to the bed._

_Oddly enough, it didn't hurt anymore._

_He took his hand away and looked at it, expecting blood._

_There was none._

Weird.

_Something stirred from under the comforter of the bed._

_Having his instincts kick in, Kiba pulled a kunai from his holster. He held it, ready to strike as the blanket was tossed aside to reveal..._

Nekoshima?

_No, she was too young to be Nekoshima. This girl had to be no older than eight, but she looked exactly like Nekoshima. The bright icy eyes, the same bounce in her step. It was all the same, except that her hair was longer. It went down to a few inches above her waist like how she had it in their academy years before the massacre.  
_

_The girl paid no mind to Kiba as she turned to the other figure that was under the blanket. It was Hinata, but she was only eight years old, too. It was as if Kiba was completely invisible to these two. He noticed that when Nekoshima smiled to her friend, it was more radiant than it had been since he'd ever known._

_"I bet you're wondering what's going on," a feminine voice from behind him caused him to whip around faster than he thought was possible._

_There was a woman in her mid-twenties standing in front of him now. She had wavy, jet black hair that fell to her waist with long bangs that feathered around her oval face. The woman was wearing a __jōnin_-vest, open, with a black, V-neck shirt and black cargo shorts that came down to her knees. It seemed like she had a fishnet shirt underneath the V-neck. She had black heels instead of the usual sandals. She was really beautiful, but the thing that really got Kiba thought, was the woman's eyes.

_Deep purple eyes._

_"Ikari..." Kiba's eyes widened as the words left his mouth._

_"Yes, sir," she smiled, amused._

_"What are you doing here? Where are we?"_

_"I'm here because Rin dipped her kunai in poison, so Miyu sucked it out of your shoulder and is trying to heal you with her blood," Ikari shrugged like she didn't really care as Kiba blushed from the thought of Nekoshima trying to get poison out of him, "and we're in Miyu's memory of what happened four years ago. The day of the Nekoshima Massacre."_

_"Nekoshima's _memory_?" Kiba looked at her curiously._

_"Indeed," she nodded affirmatively. "The Nekoshima head family bloodline is very unique, and it's much more powerful than the rest of the clan's. Our blood can heal, and it can give information. It could also kill and make a person go mentally insane. It all depends on what we want it to do for who."_

_Kiba crossed his arms, "You said '_our blood_'. Does that mean you're a Nekoshima, too?"_

_"Well," Ikari seemed a little surprised herself at the fact she had given out that information, then she sighed, "I'm Miyu's great-grandmother."_

_"You're..." Kiba felt shock hit him, "_what?!_"_

_"Good morning, Hina-chan," the miniature Nekoshima said, catching Kiba's attention, and smiled innocently to the miniature Hinata._

_Hinata smiled back as her, "Good morning, Miyu-chan!"_

_The two girls hopped out of the big bed and ran out of the room together. Ikari followed them, beckoning for Kiba to follow her._

_With a sigh, he followed, knowing that he wasn't going to have any choice in the matter. He didn't know how long this flashback was going to last, and it seemed like he was stuck with Ikari being the only one he could communicate with._

_"Yes," Ikari said finally when Kiba fell in step with her, "I'm Miyu's great-grandmother. I use to be head of the Nekoshima Clan, like my daughter, then my grandsons, and eventually Miyu. As I said, we have the strongest bloodline of the clan due to us being the heads. Though, my clan had killed me went I turned about twenty-six due to disagreements."_

_"Wait," Kiba was taken aback, but he kept following the girls as they entered Hinata's kitchen and started making breakfast for themselves, "you're saying that your own _clan_ killed you? Why would they do that?"_

_Ikari chuckled mirthlessly, "Me and my partner, Senshi, were quite cruel towards the clan. We were constantly training the clan for the war between Nekoshima and Inuzuka to occur. That war nearly destroyed Konoha. My husband, Daichi, took Hisaye, our daughter, away to the safety of the Hokage cravings. The Third Hokage scolded both me and the Inuzuka head for the destruction that had occurred. He made us swear not to try to harm the village or distress the villagers with our petty arguments._

_"After that, my clan rebelled against me. They came to my home and fought me. I knocked a nice number down, but then they all attacked at once. They slayed me for being a '_traitor_' and a '_weakling_'. Daichi came home to find my body there. My husband raised Hisaye to try to get along with the Inuzuka clan, but your clan didn't like that. Daichi died from old age, and he passed on. My soul lingered in the house still. My daughter_ _knew it, too._

_"Hisaye had Hitaro and Hikaru. The boys were _such_ troublemakers as the grew. Hikaru was the ladies man, and Hitaro was the one that wanted to settle down. He met Ayame in the academy and instantly fell in love with her. Of course, Ayame was _your_ mother's best friend." Ikari smiled and shook her head at the memory. The little girls had gone off to change and were training in the front yard of the Hyuuga home. Nekoshima wore clothes that were long-sleeved and covered most of her body, and Hinata had a short-sleeve tee and matching pants. "Hitaro did some of the worst things to poor Ayame. Your mother went right to her rescue every time. If any guy but Hitaro picked on Ayame, that boy would come home with a black eye or bloody lip, and Hikaru would've been fighting right with him. Tsume never knew it, but Ayame had learned it over time._

_"The two ended up being on a team together which had them bond with each other. Hitaro, Satoshi's mother, and Ayame. They were a powerful squad in the end. As they grew, they got closer. Hisaye and her husband passed away, Ayame became an ANBU, and Hitaro head of the clan. They dated and married, then Miyu was born." Ikari smirked, "Hikaru ended up being on a team with Yoshimaru's mother and Satoshi's father. It was funny."  
_

_Kiba put his head in his hands and watched the two girls practice throwing kunai knives at different targets that were placed through the front yard, "How come you were put into Nekoshima's body instead of Hisaye's or Nekoshima's uncle or her father?"_

_"Actually," Ikari tapped her chin with her index finger thoughtfully, "I don't really know. There was something special about her that drew my soul to her when she was born. It was as though my spirit knew that she could make a difference that the generations before her couldn't."_

_"Nekoshima's leaving," Kiba stood to his feet. "Are we going to follow her?"_

_"Of course," Ikari replied, standing up and walking towards the little girl._

_They followed the miniature Nekoshima until she stopped at a nearby allyway. The scene was oddly familiar to Kiba, but he didn't understand why..._

_"Well," a boy's voice emerged from the allyway, "if it isn't Miss Litterbox!"_

_Kiba knew the voice too well, especially when the kid called her _Litterbox_. He turned his gaze to see the eight year old version of himself. Nekoshima hissed back at him._

_"Go away, dog breath," Nekoshima stuck her tongue out at the younger Kiba._

_"Why, you!" The younger version of himself grabbed Nekoshima by her shirt, "I outta' pommel you for that, fuzzbutt!"_

_The original started to walk over to attempt to push his younger verison away from the girl, but Ikari put a hand in front of him. He looked up at the woman to question her, and he saw her shaking her head._

_Nekoshima growled, "Oh, yeah? You're all bark and no bite, puppy boy."_

_The younger Kiba shoved Nekoshima to the ground in response, "You're just a waste of my time. I need get home before I start stinking like _cat_."_

_The younger Kiba left the scene, leaving the present-day Kiba to feel like dirt. He hated that he did that. He wanted to go yell at his younger self that there was a better way. That Nekoshima was actually nice and that she cared. He wanted to tell the younger version about what he was feeling for the girl now._

_The feelings he should've learned earlier._

_Kiba watched as Nekoshima got to her feet and dusted herself off, "Stupid Kiba. He's always picking on me for no reason!" She looked up to the sky, "Gramma Hisaye, why do the Inuzuka clan hate us so much? Why can't we just get along?"_

_As if the ghost of Hisaye were trying to answer, a gust of wind brushed against Nekoshima, brushing her hair into her face to tickle her cheeks._

_The girl giggled, "You're right, Gramma. I can't let his bullying stop me from becoming the best head of the Nekoshima clan I can be!"_

_"How could she be so cheerful?" Kiba looked up at Ikari, who had been unusually silent. He felt like he was talking to one of the Christmas ghosts for the man that didn't believe in the holiday being a good thing to celebrate._

_"Just wait," Ikari told him. "You'll see when she's not very soon."_

_They silently followed the younger Nekoshima as she skipped through the streets of Konoha. She came to a dead stop when she reached the gates of the Nekoshima compound. The place was full of people from the clan, and there were cats crawling all over the place. The compound was alive with music and people talking. All the homes were just like how they originally were when Kiba would pass the Nekoshima compound on his way to the academy before the massacre. Nothing burnt down._

_Nekoshima stepped through the gates, and everything went silent except for the radio that played a happy tune. Kiba noticed that her long bangs covered her eyes as she walked through the street. She was shielding any kind of emotion from the people around her._

_All the clan members glared at the little girl as she continued walking._

_One man threw an empty can at her head, "Go to Hell, you _demon_!"_

_The rest of the clan joined in, saying cruel comments at her or throwing objects at the girl. Nekoshima kicked into a run until she got to a larger house at the very end of the street. She got inside and shut the door before a kunai hit her. Kiba realized that the house was the same one that he had carried Nekoshima to after she fainted._

_Anger boiled Kiba's blood, "What was _that_ all about, Ikari?! They could've done some serious damage to her! She's only a little girl!"_

_Ikari shook her head, "In their eyes, she's a demon for holding not only my spirit but the other one as well in her. Even before they found out, they just didn't like her. No one understood why, they just had a hatred for her."_

_"Rin-chan!"_

_Kiba whipped around in fear that she might have appeared like Ikari did, but he only found a younger, and more innocent-looking, version of the girl. She had longer hair. That was the only difference really despite the younger features._

_"Hi, Daddy!" The younger Rin ran up to the man that had thrown the can and leaped into his arms._

_"How's my beautiful girl?" The man, the one who had thrown the can, grinned at her after placing a kiss on her forehead._

_"Very good," she smiled back at him._

_"How about you do Daddy a favor and go visit the demon for a bit?"_

_Kiba was furious with how easily he said "the demon" like it was Nekoshima's actual name._

_"Okay, Daddy," Rin's smile changed into a crueler one, leaving no trace of the temporary innocence. A smile that said she was plotting things to do to Nekoshima._

_Kiba followed Rin, not caring if Ikari was behind him or not, as she skipped happily over to the larger house with the kunai knife stuck in the door. She pulled it out easily and tossed it aside before knocking._

_"Mr. Hitaro! Mrs. Ayame!" The girl called sweetly, but Kiba knew it was fake._

_A man opened the door with a surprised look on his face, "Well, hello, Rin. How are you this morning?"_

_He had dark brown hair, which happened to be the same shade as Nekoshima's, that seemed to have been going in every which way direction as though he had just woken up. His tired eyes were an unusual brown with a light golden iris. He had a gray tee shirt on and a pair of rumpled brown pants. The man's arms were torn with multiple scars showing that he had done his fair share of fights._

_Kiba blinked, doing a double take, at the man that was Nekoshima's father. He looked kind and intimidating at the same time. It was kind of like the first time he saw Nekoshima's uncle. Kiba could see how the two men were related now that he saw the other._

_"I'm doing great, Mr. Hitaro." Rin smiled innocently, peeking around him, "Is Miyu home? I was hoping to come over and play today."_

_"Oh, yeah, sure," he opened the door more for Rin to pass. "She should be upstairs in her room."_

_"Thank you!" She took off her shoes and ran up the stairs._

_"Miyu's parents didn't know that the clan had been torturing her for so long," Ikari whispered in Kiba's ear as she passed through the door that was already shut. "They've had their feelings, but she wouldn't say a word no matter how many times they've asked. She didn't tell anyone about it except for Satoshi. Hinata still doesn't know to this day, and neither does Yoshimaru."_

_Kiba looked hesitantly at the door, waving a hand through it, "Why didn't she tell anyone?"_

_"Ugh," Ikari rolled her eyes, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him through the closed door. She went into an explanation as they went up the stairs that were in front of the door, "Miyu was threatened by the clan that if she told anyone, then they'd kill her slow and painfully. She didn't want to seem weak to them, either. She just sucked up all the pain she was put through and told _me _her feelings in her dreams. It was the only way we communicated back then."_

And I made it worse by picking on her every day, too..._ He wanted to beat himself. He wished now more than ever to take all the bad things he had done to the girl back.  
_

_"At least she did tell someone," Kiba replied. "Too bad it was just her dead ancestor."_

_Ikari growled, whacking him on the back of the head, "You're not allowed to tell her that I'm her great-grandmother, boy. Do you understand?"_

_"_Ow!_" Kiba howled, rubbing the new bump on his head as they stepped through the door. "I got it, I got it."_

_Kiba's blood froze as he saw Nekoshima cowering in the corner farthest away from Rin, who was sitting casually on the bed. He' never seen such fear in those bright blue eyes as he saw just then. It made him want to go over and comfort her, but he knew he wouldn't be able to._

_"All right, Oni," Rin said cheerfully, like they were about to play a game, "I don't know why you're the head's daughter if you're going to hide in the corner from someone _younger_ than you. Are you really _that_ much of a coward?"_

_Nekoshima whimpered in replied, shaking violently. Rin rolled her eyes in annoyance as she fingered a senbon needle from the pile that was next to her on the bed. Kiba's eyes widened as the copper-haired girl giggled and threw some of the senbon at the other girl curled up in the corner._

_Instinctively, Kiba went in front of her to block it._

_The needles just went straight through him, piercing into the walls around Nekoshima. She just curled up into a tighter ball. Rin continued throwing the needles. Some hit her, but most were struck around her. Nekoshima was crying softly, like she didn't want her parents to hear her._

_His angry gaze went to Ikari, "Why didn't you shift with her? Why didn't you protect her?"_

_"She didn't have enough hatred for the clan," Ikari sighed, returning his gaze with a steady one. "My name means '_anger_'. Our shifts were never even thought of before this. They started up right after the moment that Miyu had broken past her limit of tolerance for this cruel clan, where she had complete and utter hatred for the clan. My chakra abilities were partially fused with the other's."_

_"Darn it," the younger of the two girls spoke._

_Rin ran out of senbon needles._

_Kiba watched as the evil little girl hopped off the bed and walked through him to get to Nekoshima. Rin grabbed Nekoshima's chin between her hooked index finger and thumb, pinching her as she forced the girl to look at her. Tears were freely sliding down Nekoshima's fearful face as she looked at her attacker in the eye. There were scratches on both sides of her face, on her arms as they tore through the fabric of her long-sleeved shirt and pants._

_Rin smiled coldly, but she kept her cheerful tone, "You're weak, Miyu. You're a demon child, but you're_ weak_. Your presence makes me sick to my stomach. I could kill you easily _right now_ if I was allowed. You're just lucky that the clan has more fun torturing you than their want to kill you." Rin pushed Nekoshima away like she were something disgusting and giggled, "Don't worry, though. You're pain will be ending soon."_

_With that, Rin skipped happily out of the room. Kiba heard Rin give cheerful farewells before the front door shut, and he felt a growl in the back of his throat.  
_

_Kiba turned back to see Nekoshima wiping her eyes furiously, "She's right... I am weak. I can't even stop crying after something as little as this."_

_Nekoshima picked at the torn fabric before she started to take off the clothes. Kiba turned around quickly, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. He heard the clothes get tossed to the ground before Nekoshima released a shaky sigh._

_"Kiba," Ikari ordered, "take a look."_

_Hesitantly, Kiba turned to see Nekoshima in just her undergarments as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror that was handing on the wall near her bed. His cheeks flushed at the sight, but it was completely replaced by pure shock at the sight. Her body was covered from head to toe in bruises and scratches. Some of the bruises were a blue-purple, a few were a sickly yellow-green, and others were a brownish-black. Scars from attacks that had happened throughout the years marked her. Kiba's eyes found three scar-like scratch marks at the back of her neck._

_He went over to the girl and pointed at them, "What are these?"_

_"They're the _true_ markings of a Nekoshima," she replied, sadness clouding her purple eyes as Nekoshima dressed herself in more long clothes that covered her wounds. The small girl pulled the senbon needles out of the wall that put them in a drawer in the nightstand next to her bed. "When a Nekoshima is born, the feline belonging to the bloodline of the clan leaves their mark on the child. It happens the moment they are born because the feline will infuse its chakra in its claws before the strike. It's been a long-passed tradition. Each and every Nekoshima has three scratch marks on their necks."_

_"I've always thought it was the paw print on their clothing."_

_Ikari shook her head, "It's just a symbol to show that we partner with animals and that our instincts are similar to the felines we partner with."_

_Kiba and Ikari followed Nekoshima as she went to the bathroom. She turned on the sink and splashed water against her face, rinsing off the blood. She reached up on her toes to open a cabinet, pulling out a familiar brown bottle. She scrunched her nose in distaste as she popped the cap off and poured the clear liquid onto a piece of cloth. She winced as she applied it to the new scratches on her._

_A memory flashed in front of Kiba's eyes:_

"Kiba, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Hinata," he continued hitting his head, even though it was bleeding already, "I'm fine."

The girl caught his head between her palms as she stepped between him and the tree, causing Kiba to realize that it was actually _Nekoshima_ that was asking him. His cheeks had yet to cool down, but he was hoping they weren't noticeable. He watched as Nekoshima took a small cloth from her bag and poured a bitter-scented liquid on it. Both of their noses scrunched up at the scent.

"Well, if you were fine," she dabbed his forehead with the cloth, sending a sizzling sensation where the wound was, "I doubt you'd be hurting yourself."

Kiba's eyes locked with her's for a moment, and he just froze in the icy blue color. He felt himself shiver slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she gave him an apologetic smile. "It's probably stinging, isn't it?"

_No, it's those eyes. I've never realized how beautiful they were before..._ But he wasn't going to say that aloud either, he just nodded to her excuse, willing to agree with anything else.

"It's just some hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound."

"Ah, I see."

"I used it a lot when I was a kid," she ringed out the cloth before she put it back in her bag. She pull out a band-aid then stuck it on his forehead.

"It was because of me pushing you around, right?"

"That, and my own-"

Kurenai cut her off, "Kiba, come finish your fight with Shino!"

_"So, this is what she was trying to tell me that day," Kiba muttered more to himself that to the woman next to him._

_Ikari looked at him, seeming like she was about to say something until another voice entered._

_"Miyu, come here, sweetheart. I need you to help me with the garden!"_

_"Okay, Mama!" Nekoshima called back as she finished putting on the final bandages._

_Nekoshima walked out of the bathroom with the two trailing after her like ghosts in the house. There was lovely woman that looked kind of similar to Ikari outside, smiling at her. The smile faded when she saw the bandages on Nekoshima's face._

_The woman dropped everything and rushed over to her daughter, "Oh, Miyu! What happened to you? Did someone hurt you?"_

_"No," she shook her head, "Rin-chan and I were just playing a little too hard. It was all an accident."_

Lie,_ Kiba thought._ That's a lie. Why would she protect that little brat like that?!

_As if she could have read his mind, Ikari replied, "Remember, she didn't want anyone to think she was as weak as she thought she was. She didn't want anyone to pity her. She sure as hell didn't want anyone killing her for telling what really happened."_

_Kiba sighed as he watched the small girl follow her mother go to the garden that reminded Kiba of the day he overheard Nekoshima and Hinata talking. When they walked into the leafy walls of the private garden, Kiba went into awe. It was more colorful and full of life that the one in the present day._

_"Miyu tried to bring the garden back to what it once was when she and her parents had worked on it," Ikari went to sit on a bench that was similar to the one Hinata and Nekoshima had been sitting on, "but her heart was too broken to show it's real radiance."_

_Kiba followed her, observing Nekoshima's younger form as she frolicked around. She was happy as can be when she was with her talked to the flowers about her sleepover with Hinata and that she wanted to be a great head of the clan like her father. Her mother laughed. It was like the entire scene with Rin didn't even happen._

_"I wish I had known sooner..." was all Kiba had muttered to himself._


	25. The Nekoshima Massacre (Part 2)

_Day had turned to night as Kiba and Ikari followed the younger version of Nekoshima. It seemed like everything that happened with Rin was in the past, like it didn't even happen. They tailed after her as she helped her mother around the house, went to visit Satoshi and his mother, came home, went back out with her father and uncle to the market. She had been all smiles, but they weren't was bright as when she wasn't in the compound. It seemed like she shut down a little every time she re-entered._

_Nekoshima had just been going to sleep with the little rag doll in her arms around ten o'clock when the window to her room suddenly shattered._

_"What the heck was that?!" Kiba shouted, tensing as the sudden activity._

_"Just watch," Ikari instructed with her arms crossed. "Remember that _you_ can't do anything about what's to happen."_

_Anxiety spiked Kiba's worried mind as she said that, catching sight of the rock that shattered the window._

_Nekoshima jumped out of bed and went to the window. There, standing out side her house, was a mob of angry people holding torches and weapons. They roared unpleasant words towards the girl when someone pointed her out. Some of the faces were seen against the firelight.  
_

_They were all Nekoshima._

_Grabbing a kunai knife and the doll that her mother had made for her, she went to her closet. Kiba followed her quietly to find that there was a trapdoor in the back of the girl's closet. He watched as she quickly climbed into it._

_Kiba went back to Ikari as a flaming spear went through the broken window, piercing into the desk that the woman was sitting on. The spear was sticking out of her stomach until she hopped off the desk._

_The flames spread quickly. It licked the walls, turning the entire room black with soot. Kiba felt fear spread through him as it only continued to grow. Smoke engulfed every bit of of air in the room. Angry shouts were being thrown against the house._

_Coughing came from the closet._

_"Miyu!"_

_Nekoshima's parents were running to her room._

_Kiba's attention turned to the door as Hitaro Nekoshima burst through the door. He looked around the room frantically for his daughter. His wife was right behind him, but she headed towards the broken window. Ayame gasped at the mob outside, beckoning her husband to look at the sight._

_Another spear entered the room, though, this time it pierced through Ayame's chest._

_It had pierced her heart._

_"Ayame!" Hitaro cried, catching his wife before she hit the ground and pulling out the spear._

_"Hitaro..." Ayame's voice was weak as blood leaked from her lip. She coughed before looking up at her husband, "Protect Miyu... She's our precious... daughter..."_

_Ayame's eyes closed slowly as blood spread on her shirt like water._

_Hitaro kissed his wife's bloody lips, bringing tears to Kiba's eyes, "I will protect her with my life, my love. I'll do my best to avenge you."_

_He hugged her limp body close to him before laying her on Nekoshima's bed. Fire was growing around the woman's corpse like a pyre made just for her on her daughter's bed._

_The flames cackled as Hitaro did a quick check under the bed, "Miyu! Where are you?!"_

_"Papa!" Nekoshima's cry muffled by her hidden spot._

_Hitaro ran to the closet, opening the trapdoor, and looked down at his daughter, "Miyu..."_

_Another door was broken down, except it sounded like it was the front door. Orders were given as shouts, "_Find the demon! Don't let her get out alive!_"_

_Footsteps were rapidly growing louder as the intruders ran up the stairs._

_"Stay here until Papa or Uncle Hikaru comes for you, okay, sweetheart?" Hitaro had an emotionless mask on his face as Nekoshima's shaking body nodded tightly to him. Her now sapphire eyes was searching his, but they were clouded. It was as if he knew he wouldn't come back from this fight. "Remember that Mama and Papa love you no matter what."_

_With that, he shut the trapdoor again then covered it with a rug. Hitaro stepped out of the closet, shutting the door. A shaky sigh escaped him as four intruders entered the room. They caught sight of the clan's leader and froze in a battle stance._

_Kiba's breath caught in his throat as he watched Rin's father step into the room with a smile as he saw Hitaro. He was the man who shouted the name at he. He was the one who started throwing objects at her. He was the one that sent his daughter to torture Nekoshima when she didn't deserve it.  
_

She didn't deserve any of it,_ Kiba told himself. He thought of what he had done to the girl, too._

_The man was just the older male version of Rin herself. They had the same cold smile, bright green eyes that flickered insanity were tinted with the flame's color. He wore a Konoha flak jacket with navy blue pants and matching sandals. His short, coppery hair gleamed against the fire's light._

_"Mamoru!" Hitaro shouted at the man, obviously surprised by the betrayal, "Why on earth would you do this to my home?!"_

_"The clan needs a new leader," Rin's father, Mamoru, smiled cruelly. "One that doesn't harbor a _demon_ for a daughter."_

_"What are you talking about? Miyu isn't a demon!"_

_"She's possessing that _witch_, Ikari, in her," Mamoru laughed mirthlessly. "Ikari was a traitor for not sticking up for our defense against the Third. She should've fought even though he said not to! She was a coward for letting those damn Inuzuka off so easily! We'll burn the girl so that Ikari will no longer be able to return."_

_"You've gone mad, Mamoru!"  
_

_"No, you've just been blind," the insane man grinned as the fire circled them, cackling its own amusement at the men, "You and that foolish wife of yours never noticed your daughter's bruises came from us. The clan."_

_A kunai sliced through the air, slicing Mamoru's cheek, until it struck the wall behind the man._

_Mamoru stopped smiling as he looked at the glaring Hitaro, "I will never allow you or anyone in this damned clan to lay another hand on my daughter. I vow on my wife's death that I'll protect my daughter with my life!"_

_"Then your life will be taken." Mamoru growled at the men around him with his pupils narrowing, "Search for the girl! The leader is _mine_."_

_"Yes, sir!" The four men left the room, leaving only Hitaro and Mamoru._

_Hitaro lunged at Mamoru only to receive a punch to the gut, causing Kiba to jump, startled. Hitaro only smiled, grabbing Mamoru's wrist in a tight grip. Nekoshima's father spun around Mamoru on the ball his left foot, making it look partially like a dance as he dodged a flame that jumped at him. He used Mamoru as a human shield from the fire. The other man screamed from the fire licking his face, reddening bits of his skin._

_Growling, Mamoru jerked away from Hitaro, turning on him. Mamoru pounced on him, pinning his shoulders with his knees._

_The two men struggled against each other, but Rin's father had pinned Nekoshima's father again. Mamoru's crazy eyes widened as he slit the clan leader's throat. Kiba stumbled backwards and fell in surprise._

_Mamoru smirked at his victory as he stood to his feet, kicking Hitaro's body into the cackling flames. The four Nekoshima members returned to him just in time to see the body roll into the fire. The was a black cat struggling in one of the men's grip._

_The house groaned as it weakened._

_One man saluted Mamoru, "The girl is unable to be found, but we found this one trying to get up here. She's Hitaro's partner, Yūgure."_

_Mamoru grabbed the struggling cat, "You're such a beast to betray the clan."_

_"You're the beast here, Mamoru!" The black cat hissed, scratching the man's face._

_Out of rage, he snapped the creature's neck. Kiba was horrified as he watched the man toss the feline into the flames were Ayame's body burned. He treated it like it were nothing more that a rag doll._

_One of the other men spoke up, "We should leave before the house comes down."_

_Mamoru nodded, "That demon will probably die in the flames. Let's go."_

_The five of them left._

_Kiba looked out the window to see the entire mob retreat away from the burning house. The house's groans grew louder as it tried to hold the weight of everything inside it. He went to the trapdoor Nekoshima were hidden under._

_She was crying choked sobs from the polluted air._

_He went back to Ikari, becoming frustrated with how calm she had looked during this entire time, "Why don't you do anything?!"_

_"Watch," she replied._

_"I'm tired of watching!" Kiba shouted at her, hoping to hit a soft spot, "You would've let her die! You didn't do anything to help her!"_

_Anger sparked in Ikari's purple eyes as she gripped the collar of Kiba's jacket, "Shut the hell up, boy, or-"_

_A girlish scream stopped Ikari's words._

_They both hurried over to the trapdoor to see a hole where Nekoshima had been curled up at._

_Kiba jumped down, being followed by Ikari, to find Nekoshima laying on the ground of what looked like another closet. Flames were everywhere. Nekoshima hacked up spit as she slowly sat up. She was covered in soot._

_She curled up into a ball again, sobbing, with the doll clutched to her chest, "Mama's dead... Papa's dead... Yūgure's gone, too. I don't want to die, though... This clan. I hate this clan! They all deserve to die!"_

_Kiba's eyes widened as he saw Ikari's translucent spirit pull itself out of Nekoshima's back. Ikari's spirit shelter her back as another woman appeared with a handheld fan in her right hand. She had the same purple eyes as Ikari, but she had dark brunette hair instead of black, as she fanned the smoke away from the girl._

_"_Hisaye,_" the present-day Ikari whispered, taking a step closer to the fanning spirit._

_Two more spirits came to Nekoshima's side, wrapping their arms around her. A man slapping the falling debris away from the girl with one arm, his other wrapped around her shoulders. The other was a woman. She hand bother her arms wrapped around Nekoshima, trying to shield her from the sadness._

_Her parents._

_Ikari's spirit roared like a mighty lioness as she returned to Nekoshima's body._

_Her sapphire eyes bleeding into the eggplant purple that Kiba knew were Ikari's warning of the shift. Nekoshima's parents nodded, knocking a final piece of large debris from the girl before it hit her head._

_Hisaye smiled, mouthing something along the terms of "Protect her, Mother."_

_With one big wave of her fan, Hisaye blew away the flames that were licking the closet door. Kiba watched as Hitaro bashed into the door, knocking it off the hinges like he would've if he still had his body. Ikari, who had taken possession of Nekoshima's own body, walked through it. Ayame and Hisaye blew the roaring fire away from her as she walked towards the front door._

_Hitaro bashed through the door again, flinging to door out at the crowd that was standing farther from the house._

_The crowd gasped as Nekoshima's body walked out as the murmur's started._

_"She really _is_ a monster!"_

_"She shouldn't have been able to walk through those flames so easily!"_

_"She's the Devil's pet!"_

_The house gave its final groan before the entire second floor crashed into the first._

_The purple faded from her eyes._

_They turned to their normal sapphire color with the flames illuminating in them. The tear tracks added a shine to her cheeks._

_She sent a cold glare to each and every person in the mob, "You foul people have tortured me day in to day out since I was able to walk! You've beaten me down, you've called me all sorts of cruel names like '_demon child_' and '_Devil's servant_'. Why? Because of a woman named Ikari? You all are _cowards!_"_

_Even though the fire's cackling was loud, she was heard clear as crystal. Kiba was surprised to see such hatred burning in the small girl's eyes as she spoke. He had seen it before when Nekoshima had seen Rin during their battle in the forest._

_Someone went to shout something, but she cut them off, "No more! You have gone too far with the death of my parents! They were my _true_ family while you were nothing more than enemies. I've allowed this to go far enough." Kiba watched as Nekoshima lifted the kunai that was still in her hand, dropping the doll, "I will avenge them!"_

_The mob laughed as a woman stepped out, "That was a nice little speech, _brat_. Too bad it's just you against all of us."_

_Nekoshima smiled cruelly._

_It was then that Kiba saw that the girl's eyes had turned to pure silver._

_She ran towards the woman. She lunged at her, jerking the woman's head back by her hair and stabbing her throat in a swift movement. The woman fell back, bleeding out._

_The crowd's laughter silenced._

___Bloodlust filled her silver eyes as she laughed out of madness._

_She cackled, her voice turning raspy and hushed, "You're all going to _die_ for the things you cruel people have done!"_

_She stood up, running through the crowd._

_Kiba hid behind Ikari._

_He watched in horror as the eight year old girl went into the crowd, stabbing and slicing them all with just the kunai. She snapped a man's neck. She broke bones. Cats lunged at her in their attempt to protect their masters, but they only to received their own blood to be shed._

_She threw people out of the circle of people around her. They slammed into walls of nearby buildings or the ground._

_Many of them tried to run._

_They failed._

_Soon Nekoshima was standing in the middle of a mass of bodies, both human and feline, breathing hard. The dazed look left her eyes._

_She dropped the kunai before falling to her knees and cried loudly. Her sanity had finally caught up to her after the damage was done. The flames had spread to the rest of the buildings in the compound._

_"The Nekoshima Massacre," Kiba muttered more to himself than to the listening woman next to him._

_A single man came out of a nearby building. He was holding something in his right hand as he approached the little girl. A calico cat stalked behind him until it decided to sit down next to one of the bodies. Its tail was bristled, ready to attack if its master was harmed.  
_

_"No..." The breathless word escaped Kiba as he tried to warn whoever it was. He didn't know who it was, but he didn't want to see the girl kill anyone else. It was like a bad horror movie. "Don't do it. You'll get killed!"_

_Ikari just shook her head._

_He continued walking towards her until he was about two feet away, ignoring the bodies around him. He crouched to her level as he tried talking to her, "Miyu..."_

_Nekoshima screamed, falling back on her butt as fear was clearly shown in her eyes, "Don't kill me! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"_

_"Miyu," the man repeated. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart."_

_Kiba moved closer to try seeing the man's face as he noticed familiarity flicker in Nekoshima's eyes. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the newcomer._

_It was Hikaru._

_"Uncle..." Nekoshima whispered his name, but it wasn't in that chilling raspy tone. Tears were flowing freely from her eyes, "Uncle, I'm so sorry..."_

_Hikaru's eyes held such sadness for her, "Shhh, my child..."_

_He reached out his hand towards her face like he was going to brush the tears away, but she pushed herself backwards. She shook her head wildly, as she stood to her feet. Nekoshima backed away a few steps as Hikaru also stood._

_"I'm sorry, Uncle..." Her words were barely audible, "You don't deserve a demonic niece like me. They were_ right_. I _am_ a monster."_

_"No, Miyu-" He took a step towards her, resulting with her taking a few steps back._

_"No!" She shouted, clutching the spot where her heart should be, "I'm a _monster_! I don't want to hurt you, too, Uncle!"_

_With that, she ran off, leaving Hikaru standing in the middle of the bodies. Kiba and Ikari followed as she ran out of the compound and into the streets of Konoha. Clouds covered the night sky, booming with thunder._

_Rain started to pour from the sky._

_Kiba looked at Ikari as they tailed after the crying girl, "Where is she going?"_

_"Somewhere she thought she deserved to be at the time," she replied._

_They chased after her._

_She made a sharp right, turning into an alleyway. Kiba and Ikari stopped as she bent over with her hands on her knees, panting from the run. Once she caught her breath, Nekoshima straightened then leaned against the side of a dumpster._

_Looking up, she let the rain mix with her tears._

_"They killed Mama and Papa..." She muttered as she slid down the side until she was sitting on the ground, "I've avenged them, but I'm not happy. It's only more anger building inside me."_

_"_Why are you so sad?_" A mewl cried out to her from the rain as a white puffball crawled out from under the dumpster, "_Are you okay?_"_

_Nekoshima jumped, startled, as she looked at the wide-eyed kitten. She scooted back from it, "Don't come near me. I'm a monster..."_

_The kitten tilted its head, "_You don't look much like a monster to me..._" It walked closer to the girl and rubbed against her calf as its fur clung to it from the rain, "_You look like a sad little human who was hurt by bigger ones._"_

_Nekoshima shook her head, spraying water everywhere, "No, I've hurt people. I deserve to die for what I've done. I don't deserve your kindness."_

_The cat growled, scratching the girl's hand, "_Don't talk like that!_"_

_She squeaked and cradled her hand to her chest, "You _scratched_ me!"_

_"_You shouldn't speak like that,_" the kitten hissed. "_Your life is precious to someone, even if not to yourself! You might have done bad things to someone, but you probably have a reason for it!_"_

_Nekoshima's eyes widened in understanding, but it went away when she blinked, "What's your name? Who do you belong to?"_

_"_I don't have a master,_" the kitten mewed. "_I have no name."

_The girl looked from the kitten to her bleeding hand then back to the white cat, "Chimamire."_

_Kiba gasped, his eyes widening, "_Chi_...?"_

_"And that's how they met," Ikari nodded, crossing her arms. "If the incident never happened, then they would have never found each other. The Nekoshima clan is different from the Inuzuka in this way."_

_He looked up at the woman curiously._

_She sighed, "We don't simply _give_ our children their partners and tell them 'You'll be working with this cat, so make a bond.' The Nekoshima must find their companion over time. Sometimes it's from litters made in the clan, and sometimes it's strays. It takes time, but we all end up finding our partner... Even in gruesome circumstances."_

_"_I like that name,_" the kitten grinned, catching their attention. "_It gives me an dangerous touch._"_

_Nekoshima smiled, "I'm glad. I'll call you Chi as a nickname. It's short and cute for Chimamire."_

_The kitten seemed pleased with it as she crawled onto the girl's lap, purring loudly. Nekoshima pulled her knees to her chest, making sure that she made room so she wouldn't smother the little one. Kiba noticed that she put her forehead on her knees as if to block the white kitten from the pouring rain.  
_

* * *

_Soon the rain lightened into a drizzle as the night continued, probably around one in the morning. Kiba grew worried as he watched the girl still curled up against the side of the dumpster. She hadn't moved for awhile. She was soaked to the bone, worrying him that she might catch a cold. Ikari had assured him that she was merely sleeping, but he couldn't help the feeling bubbling in him._

_A silhouette entered the alleyway, shadowing over the sleeping girl. The person crouched to her level, watching her. Kiba growled until he saw the calico cat sit down next to the person._

_"Miyu..."_

_A feline growl erupted from the girl's midriff._

_Hikaru watched with wide eyes as a damp kitten crawled out of the side of Nekoshima's curled up form. The kitten moved in front of her, bristling and hissing, "_Don't you come near her! I don't know who you are, or what you've done to this girl, but don't you touch her!_"_

_The much larger calico put its paw on the younger cat's head, having a dominant tone, "_We're family of this girl. We won't harm her._"_

_"Easy, Kya," Hikaru told her without looking at either feline._

_The kitten didn't seem to believe the calico until she saw the concern in Hikaru's eyes as he looked at Nekoshima. Hikaru stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around the girl before he scooped her into her eyes._

_She didn't even twitch._

_"Kya," his voice turned into an authoritative one, "she might be going into hypothermia. Her body temperature has dropped. I'm taking her to the hospital ASAP. Watch the little one."_

_"_Understood,_" the calico called as Hikaru ran._

_Kiba and Ikari were already following the man as Kiba heard the kitten yell, "_I'm going after her!_"_

_He looked over his shoulder to see the white kitten running out of the alleyway with the calico right behind her. Oddly enough, the cat he's always called a little demon had some speed despite being a little kitten._

_"Kiba," Ikari called as she ran next to him._

_"What is it?" _

_"This is the end."_

_Those words made Kiba's blood turn icy as he came to an abrupt stop. Ikari paused just a few steps ahead of him. The cats ran past them at an accelerating pace._

_Kiba turned to Ikari, "What do you mean by 'This is the end'?"_

_"No," she shook her head, "nothing that has to do with more death."  
_

_"Don't scare me like that then!" He shouted at her._

_"It's time for you to go back to the present day," she told him. "You've learned everything you need to know."_

_"But..." He had to know, "What happened to her after everything?"_

_Ikari smiled, walking until she was right in front of him, "She was sick for a few days, staying at the hospital. She and Hikaru lived with Hinata's family until the main house was rebuilt. A funeral was made for her parents and __Yūgure_."

_"Why are you taking the blame for the other one's presence?"_

_"Too many questions!" Ikari hit a pressure point at the back of Kiba's neck._

_His vision faded black._


	26. Impulse

"Miyu!"

I jumped, startled, at the sudden stick I had been sharpening into a spear fell out of my hands and right between Yoshimaru's legs. I felt his glare on me for a moment before turning his attention back to Kiba.

I didn't pay much attention to him. I only saw that Kiba was wide-wake.

He looked around frantically as though I was still in my battle with Rin.

I had taken the _Earth_ scroll from her before I dumped her and her goons in a river that was a decent distance away. Hinata and Shino had awoken from their ... beauty rest as I was returning. Yoshimaru and Satoshi had made leaned against each other, stumbling, as they came to us while Kiba was still knocked out.

Though I didn't want to, after I healed Hinata and Shino with my blood, I explained everything to them because they deserved it after what they had seen.

_Everything._

Rin. My parents. My clan. Ikari. What I did to those wretched people.

I stared wide-eyed at the boy from my spot perched on a tree branch. Hinata squeaked, looking at him with the same surprised expression. My teammates looked at him like he had finally cracked. Chi fell over from the sudden yell, and Akamaru jumped to his feet despite his injuries. Shino...

Well, Shino looked like Shino.

I didn't really care about any of that, though.

_He said my name..._ I felt my heart start to pound against my chest. _He... He didn't call me Nekoshima, or cat, or litterbox... He said my name!_

He got to his feet quickly only to fall back down to his knees, gripping his shoulder tightly.

It seemed that reality finally kicked in.

Hinata rushed to her teammate. She put his arm around her shoulders, lifting him up by his waist. Akamaru whimpered next to his master, pawing at the ground in anxiety.

"Miyu," he looked around frantically. "Where is she? Is she okay? What happened to her?"

"Kiba," Shino told him, "I think you might have hit your head a little too hard."

"Yeah, you might want to chill out a little, Inuzuka," Satoshi snorted.

Yoshimaru smirked, "You just got out of one wild rodeo, cowboy."

His tone seemed more than a little desperate and angry, "Where is she?!"

Even from my high perch, I could see the panic in his eyes.

My teammates looked up at me, and I nodded to them. I jumped down from the branch, not caring about my skirt since I had shorts under it. I landed on all fours then straightened on two.

Kiba's eyes locked with my own.

I saw a flurry of emotions flash through them: relief, sadness, happiness, anger, worry. He unlatched himself from Hinata and made his way over to me, stumbling from his injuries.

"Kiba, stop moving," I commanded.

He ignored me.

"You're injuries aren't fully healed yet!"

I kept shouting things at him, but he continued to ignore me.

Worried, I took a step back when he was a few steps away. He reached out and grabbed my arms. Kiba had some strength left despite his injuries. I saw something flash in his eyes before he pulled me into him, wrapping his arms tight around my shoulders.

"_I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore,_" he whispered the words in my ear so only I could hear them. "_You've been through more than I thought. So much more. I'm so sorry, Miyu. I'm so sorry that I was part of the worst time in your life. You never deserved it. Any of it. You're not a monster._"

I felt tears prick at my eyes.

My throat closed up, refusing me to say anything.

I tried to pull away from him, but he only held me tighter. I didn't know why, but I had two sudden urges. One was to run away as far as I could and just cry. The second was to curl up and bury myself against the boy I've always known as my rival. The boy I've always fought to try and prove myself to most because of his cocky smirks and wild personality.

My instinct was screaming at me to choose the first, but my heart begged me for the second. It begged for me to let someone just hold me and tell me that I wasn't a monster against for what I did.

I struggled against him only to be pulled closer to him. I even hit some of his wounds, but that didn't seem to do anything. He didn't flinch.

I gave up and just buried my face into his chest, shielding myself the humiliation of letting anyone else see my tears. It was rare for me to cry in front of anyone that wasn't Hinata, Yoshimaru, or Satoshi. I never would have thought I'd be breaking down into a sobbing mess against Kiba Inuzuka.

My legs felt like gelatin, threatening to collapse under me.

Kiba must have known it. Slowly, we sank to the ground.

His grip was still tight around me. I didn't understand it. He knew what happened.

He saw it.

I know he did.

He saw me single-handedly kill my own clan, yet, he doesn't think I'm a monster?

How was that possible?

As if he could read my thoughts, Kiba whispered to me again, "_Wanna know something interesting about my own clan?_"

He didn't wait for my reply.

"_We tend to get attached quickly and make powerful bonds to the ones we attach to,_" I could hear the smile in his tone as he continued speaking softly to me. I felt lips press against my hair, "_I was too stupid to realize it, and I even refused to believe it. I tried to turn it into hate like my mother always wanted. I tried to turn it to hate because I couldn't believe I bonded with a _cat_ of all things. When that girl attacked you, I wanted to protect you. When I saw the pain you were in because of those people, I wanted nothing more than to rip their throats out. My instincts were hay-wired because I couldn't save you from the pain you were put in._"

I could feel his heart vibrating.

I looked up at him, feeling the tears roll down my eyes, "W-Why... are y-you... telling me th-this?"

I hated how hard it was to speak from the lump in my throat. I hated how I couldn't stop crying. I hated how much my heart was pounding as I waited for his response.

I hated how much I was dying to hear more of what he had to say.

"You're the one I've bonded with, Miyu," he told me, wiping the tears out of my eyes.

"D'awww..."

The semi-moment was gone.

I looked over to my teammates to see them smiling at me. Hinata had one of the brightest smiles on her face. I tried to pull myself away from him again, and this time he let me. I looked into his dark eyes, searching to see some kind of amusement or sign that it was a joke.

Pure honesty.

I hesitated on my next words, "Your... mother."

"She needs to back off," he told me, anger rising in his tone.

"It's about time," Shino's voice entered, appearing behind me as a hand touched the top of my head.

Kiba snorted at his teammate, pulling me back into his arms, "Back off, Shino. She's mine."

I felt my cheeks burn.

Hinata giggled, "_Finally!_"

"If it took that dog any longer," Yoshimaru started.

"We would've beaten the crap out of him ourselves," Satoshi finished.

"_Seems like Kiba's a little territorial,_" Chi grinned. Her tail bristled suddenly, "_Just remember, dog boy, she was mine first!_"

Growling, I struggled until I was free from his grasp. I got to my feet and put my hands on my hips, "Hmph!"

I went to my teammates and slammed each one of my fists on their heads. They knew that I hated being teased.

Hinata did, too. I went over to her and pinched her cheek. She wriggled free.

I narrowed my eyes at her, but I wasn't really mad, "I don't want to hear anything about this _'Finally!_' from you, Miss Hyuuga!"

Hinata blushed, rubbing her red cheek.

I turned my back to all of them

I heard Kiba whisper to Shino, "_Did I upset her?_"

"_No,_" Shino told him, "_she just hates being teased._"

I snorted, looking up at the sky, "It's getting dark soon. You guys should start heading for the tower since you've gotten your beauty sleep already."

"Yeah..." Kiba seemed a little disappointed, "I guess we should get going."

I whirled around a little too quickly that I got dizzy as I shook my fist at him, "You better get there, or I'll pummel you myself, Kiba Inuzuka! I don't want you getting hurt because you guys decided to camp out here!"

Kiba's disappointed look disappeared as he broke out into a huge grin.

_I really need to keep my mouth shut,_ I sighed. _Now Kiba knows that I'm going to be worried about him_.

"She's right, though," Shino came to my rescue. "If we stay in this forest for too long, we're bound to get attacked."

Hinata nodded before she looked at me, "Are you sure you three will be all right without us?"

"Do you_ not_ remember who you're talking to, Hina-chan?" I grinned at her.

"_We can get through anything as long as we're together,"_ Chi rubbed against my leg. "_We'll be just fine!_"

"We're a team," Satoshi grinned also.

Yoshimaru mimicked the motion, "We've been through worse than this wussy forest."

"Says the guys leaning against the tree so they won't topple over from their injuries," I rolled my eyes.

"We'll be leaving then," Shino told me.

I nodded to the bug boy, "All righ-"

"Wait," Kiba interrupted.

We all looked at him.

Kiba straightened like a child caught in the cookie jar before he walked over to me. I tilted my head curiously at him, wondering what he could possibly want.

At least, until his hands cupped around my face and his lips met mine within milliseconds after.

My body went into shock. His lips were softer than I thought they would've been.

My eyes closed.

Fireworks exploded in my mind.

He pulled away too soon.

I opened my eyes halfway to see him blushing and scratching the back of his head, "Sorry. Impulse."

I grabbed his jacket and yanked him back down.

I heard the whistles and whoops from my teammates. Hinata gasped. Chi meowed loudly, prancing around us with Akamaru.

This time I pulled away, smirking, "_Sorry._ Impulse."

Kiba's cheeks turned as red as the fang-like triangles on his cheeks. His eyes were almost bulging out of his skull. I turned away from him, sauntering towards my teammates who were grinning stupidly.

I looked over my shoulder to see that they were gone.

"Nice," Satoshi smirked as the blush finally caught up to my own cheeks.

I asked the question I already knew the answer to, "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"_Never_," Yoshimaru grinned teasingly.

"Crap."

"_At least you got the dog boy to approve of you, Miyu-chan,_" Chi snickered. "_I just didn't think it'd go _this_ far so quickly._"

I snorted at her, "Bah, shut it, you."

Satoshi's smirk got cockier, "I just didn't think you'd kiss him _back_, Miyu,"

I growled, feeling my cheeks burn more, "Shut _up!_"

"Wait until _Misaki-sensei_ hears about it," Yoshimaru snickered.

I smacked both of them upside the heads.

They winced, but they started laughing right after.

I face-palmed, "_How_ did I end up on a _team_ with you idiots?"

They sang together, "Because you_ looove_ us, Miyu-chan!"

"My idiots..."


	27. Bloodlust of the Sand

Kiba was smiling to no end.

He had been surprised when his body pulsed with the urge to kiss her. Heck, he was even more surprised that she kissed him _back_!

He leaped from tree branch to tree branch on all fours. He was a bit ahead of his teammates, but he didn't care. He was on Cloud Nine. He didn't think anything could bring him down either.

"Ha, ha!" He yelled, "I _know_ we'll be the ones to survive this! Right, Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked in reply, "_We've got both scrolls. Lucky catch!_"

"Of course, it's lucky for us that the people caught in that trap had an Earth scroll," he chuckled, "and we're going to be the first ones to reach the tower!"

"Don't get overconfident because Miyu kissed you," Shino warned as he leaped beside him. "It's a dangerous mistake to make."

Kiba's cheeks flushed as he remembered it.

It had happened only moments ago, but her scent was still lingering on him. The warmth of her pink lips still on his. The explosions in his mind and heart. It only made his grin grow wider. He hadn't thought that was possible at this point, but it happened.

"No matter how small a bug is," his teammate continued, "it still has to guard itself at all times. We have to make sure we don't encounter _any_ enemies That's the _only_ way to be safe."

"Yeah, I know, Shino, but as usual, you gotta' say it in a weird vague way." Kiba hated when Shino got all analytical. It was like the guy was trying to rain on his parade just because they were still in the stupid forest. He leaped farther ahead, "Bug nerd!"

Kiba smirked when he heard Shino's frustrated growl.

"Yeah, but, Kiba," Hinata's quiet voice reached his hypersensitive ears easily, "what Shino said... He does kind of have a point, you know."

"Yeah, I know," he repeated. "Just come on!"

Kiba wanted to get to the tower as quickly as possible so he could be re-united with Miyu. He wanted to catch her scent again. He didn't understand when these feelings had started to hit him, and he didn't care either.

He was glad that they did, though.

_Miyu,_ he grinned at simply being able to say her first name now. _It fits. Superior beauty, no kidding_.

He caught a weird scent, scattering his thoughts away.

He stopped on a tree branch, holding his arms out to signal his teammates, "Hold on, guys. We have to stop."

Hinata and Shino paused on the same tree branch as him.

Shino looked at him, "Why?"

He looked back, "We're being careful not to encounter any enemies, right?" He turned to the female of the group and pointed in front of them, "All right, Hinata. I want you to check out a kilometer ahead in that direction."

She nodded before activating her Byakugan.

"Yes," she said, "there's somebody there all right."

Shino bent, pressing his ear against the branch, "It sounds like there are... six people there."

"All right," Kiba felt indestructible, "let's check it out."

Both his teammates looked at him in surprise, but Shino's warning tone spoke, "Kiba, what are you talking about? We're not going to do that! "

"Why not?" Kiba looked to his teammate, "The test administrator said we had to get both a _Heaven_ and an _Earth_ scroll, right?" He looked in the direction towards the other possible opponents, "But she didn't say we couldn't take more than that." He spread his arms wide like a king to his people, ignoring the slight pain shooting through his shoulder, "If we get more scrolls, there will be fewer to go around, and that means other teams will be cut out of the competition." He gave a laugh.

Hinata seemed like she was going to bring up his wound, "But-"

"Look," he cut her off, "we'll just check it out, okay? If it looks too dangerous, we won't battle them. Now come on, let's go!"

Before the could harvest another word, Kiba took off with Akamaru at his feet.

Kiba stopped behind a bush with his dog whimpering next to him.

"What's wrong, Akamaru?" Kiba asked as his teammates appeared next to him.

Hinata looked down at the trembling canine, "What happened? You just stopped all of a sudden."

Akamaru was still shaking. He didn't reply to anyone. He just crawled into Kiba's hoody and curled up against his stomach. He was whimpering, though. Something must have scared him.

"Yeah," Kiba said. "Something just spooked the little guy."

"What... scared him?"

"I have no idea," he told her. "Akamaru has the ability to sniff out the level of an enemy's chakra, but, man, I haven't seen him this scared since the first time he saw Miyu. He ended up relaxing around her after awhile, but he gets skittish when it comes to that girl's temper." Kiba placed hand on Akamaru's cheek, looking towards the direction of the people ahead, "Whoever those people are, they aren't normal guys."

_Not like she's normal either._

He remembered the flashback he had been sucked into where he saw not only Ikari but the silver-eyed thing, too. Ikari didn't seem to like it very much, so his mind still questioned why she would hide it from Miyu.

Kiba and his teammates watched to two squads face against each other. One was from the Sand and the other from the Rain. He noticed that the redhead amongst the Sand ninja had a large gourd on his back, the female had a fan, and the second male in a black cat-like suit had a mummy thing. The Rain ninja were all male with umbrellas strapped to their backs.

"_What's he thinking?_" He asked in a hushed tone. "_That guy's way too little to take on an opponent who's that big._"

It was true.

The redhead Sand ninja was probably shorter than Kiba while the leader of the Rain ninja had to be a good head or two taller than himself.

Akamaru continued to whimper, still shaking, "_There's a lot of chakra here, Kiba... It's probably from the big guy._"

Kiba's eyes widened.

Hinata sent him a worried glance, "_What did Akamaru say?_"

"_That that big guy,_" Kiba told them, "_he is _big _trouble._"

"Too bad, kids," the Rain ninja leader said. "You should've picked your opponents better." His expression changed from calm to crazy with a wide grin, "Now you're all gonna' die!"

"I've heard enough out of you," the redhead told him. The kid's deep voice startled Kiba slightly. His arms were crossed, and he didn't look a bit concerned with the situation he was in, "Let's make this quick. I don't want to waste time on this guy."

"Hey, Gaara," the mummy guy was talking to the redhead, "doesn't it make more sense to follow these punks and gather more information first? I-I mean, if they have the same type of scroll as us, we're just fighting an unnecessary battle."

"I don't care," he replied.

The expression on the Rain ninja's changed to surprise as the redhead's darkened.

Gaara glared darkly, "They looked at me the wrong way... So they're gonna' die."

A chill ran down Kiba's spine.

By the looks of it, the same reaction was happening to everyone except the Gaara guy.

"If you think you can kill us," the leader Rain ninja said, pulling multiple umbrellas from over his shoulders, "then try it!"

The Rain ninja threw his umbrellas into the air. The wind caught them, keeping them afloat. Kiba counted at least four of them in the sky. There was a surprised gasp from the mummy guy.

"And now," he said, bringing his hands together in a _Tiger_ hand-sign, "Ninja Art - Senbon Rainstorm!"

The umbrellas spun around, releasing a mass of needles to fly out of it. Kiba watched with the image of Miyu curled of in the corner of her room with Rin throwing senbon needles at her.

He blinked at the sound of an explosion, seeing a puff of dust lift off the ground.

The dust cleared away to reveal an egg-shaped shell made of sand with the needles sticking out of it like thorns, "Is that all you can do?"

"It can't be!" The Rain ninja stared in horror, "Not one wound! Impossible!"

"_Man,_" Kiba said, "_his chakra's so_ powerful_, and that sand... Do you smell that odor? It stinks..._"

"_Odor?_" Shino was the one to ask this time.

Kiba felt his own body start to shake, "_It smells like blood._"

"He's created a wall of sand," the Rain ninja exclaimed the obvious.

"That's right," the mummy guy replied. "It's a defense, and _nothing_ can get through it. He carries around all that sand in the gourd he has on his back, and when he's attacked, he uses the power of his chakra to harden the sand. It's a jutsu that only Gaara can do, and somehow it happens automatically. Independent of his will. So, any attacks against him are doomed to fail."

"Yeah?" The Rain ninja shouted, "Well, we'll see!"

"Just face it." The mummy guy told him, "You guys can't hope to defeat Gaara."

"Give me a break," the Rain ninja ran towards the redhead.

Gaara put his hands together in a hand-sign of his own then pulled his left hand back towards his face in a single-handed hand-sign and his palm stretched out in front of him like he was making his hand a paw or something, "Sand Coffin!"

Kiba watched as the sand rushed out to the running Rain ninja like water then latched onto his leg. It wrapped around his body, soon covering everything but his face and part of one of the umbrellas still on his back. The four in the air dropped like flies, piercing into the ground. The Rain ninja told him to let him go.

Gaara told him, "All I'd have to do is cover your mouth, and you'd be dead." The redhead simply grabbed one of the umbrellas, opening it, and resting it against his left shoulder, "But that would be too easy and boring."

The Rain ninja screamed as the sand lifted him into the air.

Giving the taller man a dark glare, he closed his fist, "Sand Burial."

Kiba and his team watched in horror as the sand exploded with blood falling like rain. It went all over the Rain ninja's teammates and the umbrella that shielded the redhead from the gore.

"There wasn't any pain," Gaara told them, "I crushed him with more force that necessary, so it was over quickly. The corpse's bitter crimson tears flow and mingle with the endless sand, feeding the chaos within me and making me stronger."

One of the two Rain ninjas pulled a scroll out from behind him and placed it on the ground, "Just take the scroll. Go on, here."

"Yes," the other said, panicked, "take it! Please spare us!"

Gaara tossed the umbrella aside and held both palms out like before. The sand's ends shaped into hands, wrapping around the last two like it did to their leader. They screamed as it slowly covered their faces. Once more, the redhead closed his fists, bringing horrible screams here.

"_Man, this is bad,_" Kiba said as the team turned away. "_We gotta' get out of here before he finds and kills us!_"

"All right," the familiar voice of the mummy guy said, picking up the scroll. "We got lucky. It's a _Heavens_ scroll. Let's head to the tower."

"Just shut up," Gaara's deep voice said flatly.

"Huh?"

"It's not... It's still not enough for me."

Kiba's whole body paralyzed in fear of his words. _Oh, no, did he see us?! If he did, we're done for!_

"Come on, Gaara. Let's go," the mummy guy replied.

"What are you? Scared?" Gaara's voice was now sending goosebumps to Kiba's arms. "Coward."

"Look, Gaara," Kiba heard the footsteps, "I know this test isn't a problem for you, but it's dangerous for Temari and me. One set of scrolls is good enough. It's all we need to pass."

Kiba was thinking the same thing right about now. Had he not have had the stupid idea of scouting out other competitors, then they wouldn't have been in this mess to begin with.

"Losers... can't tell me what to do."

"All right, that's enough. Sometimes you have to listen to what your big brother says!"

"It's too bad that I don't think of you as my big brother at all. If you get in my way, I'll kill you."

Kiba hated how casually the redhead was saying all of it.

"Wait," the feminine voice of what had to be the girl known as Temari spoke, "just hold on, Gaara. You don't have to treat us like _we're_ the enemy. Look, do it as a favor for your sister. Please?"

"_Oh, no..._" Hinata's words were faint against the sound of sand forming.

Kiba flinched, looking over his shoulder to see what was going to happen. The sand had been retreating to the redhead's palm as the other guy held him by the collar of his shirt.

Temari cried, "_Gaara!_"

"All right," he said, holding a large cork in his hand, "_this_ time."

Akamaru was shaking even more in his jacket than before. They all were breathing hard from holding their breaths for so long. The fear had sent them into partial shock.

"Well," Kiba looked down to his grumbling dog, "I guess we know now why you were so freaked out. I just wish you would'a said something sooner."

Shino looked at him and breathed, "Ha?"

"The look in the Gaara guy's eyes reminded me of part of the flashback I was put through when Miyu was trying to heal me. They were purely emotionless, like he would've really killed his own sibling if he wasn't stopped. No one was around to stop Miyu when her eyes turned into this clouded look. By the time she realized what happened, it was already too late. The only one left standing was her uncle."

"Miyu sent you into a flashback?" Shino asked as they all got to their feet and headed for the tower.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "I didn't understand how, but there was this woman called Ikari that took me through the entire thing."

"We know about Ikari," Hinata's words were breathless, almost scared.

His eyes widened, "Really?"

"While you were still in dreamland," Shino explained, "Miyu healed us up, too. She told us that we deserved an explanation as to why that girl was attacking her. Hinata and I knew it was strange for them to kidnap Miyu since Satoshi told us that she was the one with the scroll. Had they just knocked her out, they could've just left with the scroll. She told us about Rin, Ikari, what really happened to her clan."

"And what did you guys say about it?"

"At first, we didn't say anything," Hinata told him. "We were in shock, I guess. We were comparing it to the Uchiha murders. After a few moments, we agreed that it was completely different from when Itachi killed them. Itachi wasn't abused by his clan like she was. If someone went through the suffering she had gone through for so long, without anyone helping her, it was understandable for her to have cracked." Hinata's gaze fell to the ground, "I just wish she would've told me. I knew it was strange that she had so many scars, but she always told me it was because she'd be rough-housing with the clan's cats. I just didn't think her term for rough-housing was being clawed up like a scratching post."

They didn't know.

They didn't know about the other one.

"That's what I was thinking, too. Especially after I actually saw the abuse going on like a movie. There were quite a few times where I would've gone and attacked them myself, but I wasn't able to do anything since it was the past."

"So, it was the flashback that finally put the pieces together?" Shino asked him.

"In a way," he replied as he looked at his hands. "After I saw everything, I wanted nothing more than to protect her. I didn't want her to go through any of that ever again. I was also part of the reason she'd been abused, but her own clan shouldn't have attacked her for something like that. It wasn't her choice to have Ikari trapped inside her. She was just a kid, anyway." He shivered at the memory of the scars all over Miyu's body, "So many scars from the years she was put through..."

"Kiba," Shino stopped on one of the branches with Hinata at his side, causing Kiba to also stop, "just make sure you know what you're getting into with her. Are you positive that you really made a bond with her, and that it's not just pity? I don't want you to be leading her onto something that you're not going for a hundred percent."

"I'm positive," he said without any hesitation. "We've had our arguments, our fights, my bullying... But if I had to choose one person to save my life out of anyone in the world, I know that I could count on Miyu. I know I can trust her with my life without any doubts. Lately, my thoughts had been nothing but her. She's everywhere I am. She makes me stronger, more determined, and I can't imagine my life without her in it. I want to be by her side from now on, not facing her on the battlefield."

Akamaru barked his addition, "_Plus Chi is a great friend to have when you need someone to gossip to!_"

Shino nodded, but there was a strange tone in his voice, "All right then."

Hinata smiled brightly, "I'm so glad, Kiba... It's like a remix of Miyu's favorite book!"

He remembered that he had the book in his pouch, but he said nothing about it.

"The Inuzuka and Nekoshima addition," Shino added.

Kiba's cheeks flushed, "Whatever! Let's just get to the tower!"


	28. The Welcoming Committee

"If qualities of Heaven are your desire," I read the white sign on the wall, "acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If Earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When Heaven and Earth are open together, the paralysis path will become righteous forever. This_ blank_ is the secret way that guides us from this place today."

I caught a strange scent, but I ignored it for the time being. I noticed that Chi was quietly wandering the room, checking for anything that could be suspicious. Or maybe even a mouse to play with.

"Something's missing from here," Yoshimaru stated the obvious as his eyes searched the reading.

Satoshi pulled the _Heavens_ and _Earth_ scrolls from my ninja pouch, "Obviously, it has to do with the scrolls due to the mention of Heaven and Earth. I think now that we're in the building, we're allowed to take a look inside."

Yoshimaru and I glanced worriedly at our teammate.

He was still covered in mostly bandages, so we thought the pain killers might finally be getting to him. Though, what he was saying _did_ make some sense to me. I mean, why make Heaven and Earth scrolls if you're not going to use them with the passage that clearly states them in it?

He sighed, tossing me the _Heavens_ scroll, "Miyu, you have the highly advanced intellectuality here whether or not you want to show it half the time. You take the_ Heavens_ scroll." He tossed the _Earth_ scroll to Yoshimaru as I stuck my tongue out at him, "You prefer to use your strength over a weapon, even though you've got that bracelet. You get the _Earth_ scroll."

"What about you, hotshot?" I glanced at him, holding the_ Heavens_ scroll between my palms.

He smirked, "I'm doing the countdown for you guys. We're going to open them at the same time, okay?"

Yoshimaru and I looked at each other for a moment then nodded. We held the scrolls in one hand, opening it partially to completely open it on Satoshi's mark.

He glanced at both of us, "Three... Two... One. _Now!_"

Yoshimaru and I practically ripped them open the moment he said it.

The three of us peered at the symbol. I noticed it right away. It was the kanji sign for '_a person_' (人) with a bunch of squiggly lines around it.

"Yoshi," I ordered, "toss it away now! It's a summoning!"

He understood quickly, throwing the open scroll under the passage at the same time as myself.

The scrolls smoked up then exploded. As the smoke cleared away, the form of a man came into view. He had shoulder-length brown hair with two long bangs in the front. Along with his hair, his forehead protector obscures his eyes. He wears the standard outfit of the Torture and Interrogation Force which consists of a grey button up suit.

"Hey, person," I waved with my left hand, keeping my right hand limply near my kunai holster.

"Hello," he replied blankly, "my name is Shimon Hijiri."

Yoshimaru crossed his arms, "So, what're you doing here?"

"At the end of the second exam," he explained, "we, chūnin, are suppose to welcome the test takers back. I'm basically the messenger for you three."

"So, you're our Welcoming Committee," I told him.

He nodded, "You guys made some nice progress with the forest. It's interesting how you're one of the few that got here within the first day."

"It wasn't much of an issue after we got passed a little _problem_," Satoshi glanced at me, but I shrugged.

I could have sworn that I saw the slightest twitch of a smile on the chūnin's face, "Congrats, kids. You passed the second exam."

"Thank you, Hijiri-san," I bowed my head respectfully before straightening, earning curious looks from my teammates, "but what would've happened had we opened the scrolls before we got here?"

"An intelligent question," he nodded again. He seemed somewhat thoughtful for a moment before speaking, "I would've had to knock you out the moment you opened it. The chūnin were assigned to unless the squads made it to the tower first with both scrolls."

Yoshimaru exhaled a relieved sigh before grinning at me and Satoshi, "I'm glad that we're not stupid enough to have fallen for a cheap trick like that. Naruto probably would've."

"I have another question," I raised my hand slightly.

Hijiri nodded, "Yes?"

"Well," I pointed to the passage, "what's that suppose to stand for? It's a hint for the squads obviously, but there's more meaning to it than one would think. It's faded, so it's hard to comprehend unless you had a recovery jutsu of some kind. Is that part of the messenger job you were speaking of earlier?"

"Smart girl," Hijiri gave a small smile of acknowledgement, which caused me to shine a bright smile at him in return. He turn his back to us, looking up as the faded words, "They're instructions that Lord Hokage recorded as principles for chūnin to follow by."

Yoshimaru tilted his head curiously, "Instructions? I might need a translator."

"Yeah, nitwit." Satoshi gave a frustrated sigh, "Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I gave Miyu the _Heavens_ scroll because it was for the mind. I gave you _Earth_ because it was for the body. '_If qualities of Heaven are your desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher_' and '_If Earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack._'"

"Simpler?" Yoshimaru looked confused still.

"In other words," Satoshi's teacher tone entered, "if your weakness lies within your intellect,_ Yoshimaru_, then you have to make sure you work twice as hard to make sure you learn all the information skills that you need to prepare for your missions."

I giggled when I saw Yoshimaru sitting on the ground, pouting. Chi walked over to him and curled up on his lap. I could hear her purring in attempt to get him to quit pouting and give her attention. He gave in easily.

"And you, _Miyu_," Satoshi continued, giving me a knowing look, "if your weakness lies in your physical status, like, say, _going up flights of stairs at the academy,_ then you'll have to work on your physical condition every day so that it improves all the time."

I stuck my tongue out at him, "I can still kick your butt with a hand tied behind my back."

"Then where are you in this mix, Satoshi?" Yoshimaru asked.

I snorted at them, "Sato is in the middle."

They both looked at me.

Yoshimaru's expression showed confusion as Satoshi's showed surprise.

"Sato has great analytical skills like myself, but he lacks the ability of manipulation like I have," I explained. "Yoshimaru, you can show off your strength at freewill. Satoshi, on the other hand, has his own strength, but his shows more when his teammates are in danger. He has the protector instinct in him. The saying for Heaven and Earth combining means that if the body and mind are working together, then even a dangerous mission can become an easy one."

They stared at me in awe.

The chūnin had kept quiet, waiting for us to finish our rants. He seemed more amused that anything at how we were insulting each other within compliments.

"Yes," I glared at my teammates, "it may not look like it, but I do pay attention to the training you guys do. Even when I'm chasing those butterflies around."

Hijiri clapped, "Nice explanation, you two."

"Okay," Yoshimaru nodded in understanding now, "but what about the missing character?"

This time Satoshi and I let the chūnin explain, "That part is meant for you three to fill in. The kanji for '_person_' that you saw on the scrolls earlier was a reference to you chūnin. You see, the five days for survival were to test your abilities as chūnin and to see if you'd be able to take the heat." Hijiri smiled, "You guys really impressed me with how quickly you've gone through it. I'm proud to have been the chūnin to announce you three."

The three of us grinned at each other before he continued.

"A chūnin is a guide, a leader. It's a chūnin's responsibility to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those serving under you _and_ to know what skills and training they are going to need to succeed on a mission. Remember these instructions by heart, and you should become a great leader for your squads." Hijiri picked up the lonely scrolls, "That's all I needed to tell you guys. You basically covered most of it on your own, so I just needed to do the further explanations here."

"Understood," Satoshi and Yoshimaru said together, then they glared at each other.

I grinned, "Aye, aye, Capt'n. I'll make sure my knuckleheads know it even if I have to pound it into their skulls."

Hijiri chuckled.

"You always have a way to make people laugh, Miyu," Satoshi muttered.

Yoshimaru snorted, "Favorites."

"All right," Hijiri said, "I'll leave you guys with a final piece of advice: if you feel like it's too much, don't push it."

With that, he disappeared.

"What a weird guy," Yoshimaru said, petting Chi like a robot.

I took another whiff from the air.

_I was right. That scent. It's Anko's, and it has something mixed with it. She's in this building somewhere, but whatever the hell it is... It's making me bristle. I don't like it. Not one bit.  
_

"_Do you smell it, too, Miyu-chan?_" Chi meowed at me.

I nodded to her.

Satoshi came to my side as Yoshimaru picked up my feline and came closer, "What's going on?"

"Anko's scent is weird. I've never smelled anything like it before," I told him. "It's like her scent is mixed with a strange evil..."

"Well," Yoshimaru looked at me with steady eyes, "we're trusting you, so we're still going to keep our guard up around her. We're lucky to have a nose like yours, Miyu."

I nodded, "Let's head to the waiting room. I bet we're all tired."

My teammates exchanged knowing looks with each other.

"What?"

"Miyu just wants to see _Kiba_ again," Satoshi smirked.

Yoshimaru nodded his agreement.

I felt my cheeks flare at the thought of the canine clan member, "He surprised me!"

"But _you_ pulled him back," they chorused.

"Jerks."

I stomped away from them, but they easily caught up with their long strides. My cheeks refused to cool down as my thoughts about the Inuzuka boy led back to the kiss.

It was a surprise, of course, but the fireworks that went off in my mind meant something.

Chi leaped into the hood of my hoody like she always does. I heard the soft purring that vibrated from her when she nuzzled my jaw. I knew that she was still weak from the side effects of the jutsu, but she was pulling through. She had always been a strong girl. I had to be strong, too.

_I hate how my life has a tendency to turn out like the books I read,_ I sighed mentally. _Is this a curse, Kami? I guess I won't find out until something goes wrong... Worse than wrong... I need to become stronger, though. If I ever do run into Rin again, it'll be the end for one of us. I can't do it now because of the guilt building inside of me from the incident... But the guilt won't change the past. Rin's obsessed with hurting me, so she'll attack those I care for. I'll just have to get to her first next time. And this time, to protect my loved ones..._

_I will kill her._


	29. Hokage's Words of Wisdom

The room was _huge_.

Big green tiles spread evenly across the floor and gray walls that made the statue of two hands making the hand-sign for Sheep pop. The hands were made of a brown stone with the armor leading from the wrists to elbows being a bright minty green that made me think of rusted copper. The elbows went into the wall like it was a human body. There were balconies to my left and right for people to look down at us.

I noticed The Third standing in front of the very center of the hands. Anko, including with Ibiki and six chūnin, standing in a V formation that made me think of a flock of birds flying. Behind The Third were eight jōnin, all sensei with my own in there, standing in a straight horizontal line. From my right to left: a Sound jōnin, a Sand jōnin, Kurenai, Misaki, Guy, Kakashi, Asuma, and an unknown Leaf jōnin guy.

"First of all, congratulations on finishing the second exam," Anko's loud tone brought my attention back to her. I noticed she had a portable microphone head set on.

I looked around to find twenty-four out of the eighty-one people that had take the Forest of Death test.

I was pretty shocked at the small number, but I was very impressed at all of the Twelve Rookies were here. They all had gotten a bit beaten up during the course, but they were standing tall and proud. What ticked me off, though, was that_ Kabuto_ guy still being here... and those Sound ninja.

They bugged me, too.

It reminded me of was Rin and her goons had done. Her headband declared her as a Sound ninja, so they had to know her somehow... I took a whiff, taking in everyone's scents.

Sasuke's caught my attention most though.

I looked at him, taking another sniff, as the crowd started to talk.

Yep.

His scent was tainted with the same crud as Anko's now.

It wasn't like that before the test, so something, whatever it was, attacked him in the forest. I wondered what could have possibly happened. It worried me.

Sasuke had been a butt since he's been on Kakashi's team, but he had still been a good friend of mine when our clans fell. We pulled through it together. My depression over my parents, and his depression over his whole clan.

I started to growl at the bad scent mixed with his.

It wasn't good.

It, too, reminded me of Rin now that I thought about it. Her scent had been tainted, but I didn't think much of it at the time.

"Miyu," Yoshimaru, who had been standing behind me, put a hand on my shoulder, "are you okay? You're growling."

Satoshi looked back at me curiously.

"_Watch for the Uchiha,_" I warned in a low voice. "_I don't know that the hell is going on, but three people have these weird-_" I caught it again, but it was stronger this time, _"Wait._" I lifted my nose, taking a huge whiff. My eyes widened for a moment before shooting straight for the Sound jōnin. "_Mainly keep an eye on the Sound jōnin. He's trouble. His scent says bad all over him. I don't like it. Not at all. His scent is on Anko, Uchiha, and Kabuto. Don't let any of them touch you. It's some kind of stank epidemic._"

"_Understood,_" they told me.

Chi growled quietly at him as she stood at my feet, "_I'll be watching him, Miyu-chan._"

I looked over Satoshi in front of me worriedly, "Satoshi, are you sure you can go on? Your injuries weren't severe, but they were pretty bad."

"I'll be fine," he smiled back at me. "Don't worry so much."

I whined at him, "But I-"

Anko cut me off, "All right, now pay attention! Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you. You better listen carefully, maggots."

_The Third Hokage is going to explain the third test._ I giggled quietly.

_How fitting_, a tired woman's voice entered my head.

My eyes widened just a bit, _Ikari?! What were you doing this whole time?_

_After you shift with me,_ she told me with a yawn_, I need a catnap. It's exhausting having to control a body that isn't even yours, girl._

_Then go back to sleep. I'm not going to need you for the next part of the exams unless something threatens the village or something. I doubt it'll happen, though. I just need to watch some stinky people..._

_Whatever, girl._ Ikari's voice started to fade._ Call when you need me. I'll surely awaken._

"Lord Hokage," Anko turned and bowed her head in respect, "they're all yours."

He nodded his acknowledgement.

The Third took a few steps forward then cleared his throat, "First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now, it's something you all need to understand. I'm going to tell the true purpose of these exams."

_True purpose?_ I tilted my head curiously, Chi mimicked the motion, at the elderly man. _What's he talkin' about?_

"Why do you suppose our country holds these exams in conjunction with our allies?" He asked us.

He didn't give us time to possibly answer.

"To raise the ability levels of the shinobi and increase friendship between our allied nations to be sure, but it's important that you understand its true meaning. The exams are, so to speak..." He pulled the pipe from his lips, breathed out the smoke, and spoke again, "They are representation of battle between allied nations."

"And what's that suppose to mean?" TenTen asked.

_In case we have to start fighting the guy next to us,_ I thought quietly. _It's easy for someone to betray an ally. Easier than blinking when they have something you really want. It's only hard when you want to stay faithful to the nation you're allying with. It's all about who's side you're on._

"Now," The Third continued, "if we look at our history, all the countries that we're currently allied with were once neighboring nations that that continuously fought with each other for power. In order to avoid destroying each others' military strength meaninglessly, those nations picked champions to do battle on behalf of their countries and have mutually selected locations. That was how the Chūnin Selection Exams originally began."

"Well," Naruto spoke out, "that's great, but why do we have to go through these exams then? I mean, it's not like we're doing this to pick chūnin to go fight."

"Well, actually," The Third's words reply a light chill down my spine as he brought the pipe back to his mouth, "there is no question that part of these exams is just to select shinobi worthy of becoming chūnin. That's just not the _whole_ story. These exams also allow for a place where shinobi can carry the pride of their nation on their backs and fight against other ninja for their very lives."

I heard Sakura's annoying voice, "The pride of their nation?"

"Many leaders and people of prominence from various countries are invited to attend this exam as guests and also seek shinobi to work for them. This exam could determine the course of your ninja work from here on out, and, more importantly, those rulers will watch your battles and take note on the strengths of each ninja and each nation is developing. If there is a gap in power between the countries, the strong nations are emanated with job requests for their ninja and, conversely, the requests to countries that are deem weak decline. Therefore, the stronger our nation is, the better our position when it comes to negotiating with neighboring countries, so it's important to show how much military strength our village has."

"Okay," the owner to the voice made my breath catch in my throat, "but even so, why is it necessary for _us_ to risk our lives?"

I exhaled. _He's cute, but he's partially brainless. If we were to get higher ranked missions, then we'd be risking our lives each day. Every day we leave the village, we risk our lives. It's part of the ninja way. We risk our lives in order to protect our homes, our loved ones.._.

The painful idea hit me like a brick.

_I know what I have to do now._

The Third Hokage went on, "The country's strength is the village's strength, the village's strength is the shinobi's strength, and the_ true_ strength of the shinobi is only achieved when it's pushed to its limits such as in a life or death battle. This exam is a chance for each nation to display the strength of its shinobi and, hence, the strength of the nation itself. It's _because_ this is an exam where your life is on the line that it has meaning, and it's for this very reason and it has strength for the nation that your forerunners fought in this exam. It's truly a dream worth striving for."

"But then why..." TenTen started, "did you use the expression _friendship_ before?"

The Third answered, "But you only remember half of what I said. You also mustn't have the wrong idea of the exam's meaning. This is a custom of which balance is preserved by fighting and dying. In the world of the shinobi, _that_ is friendship."

_Then my clan must have been real good friends of my parents and I..._ I thought sarcastically, lowering my lashes at the memory.

Arms wrapped around my shoulders from behind as Yoshimaru's voice hit my left ear, "_Hey, it's okay. Remember, you and Hikaru are alive. That's all that counts. You may be doubtful, but Satoshi and I are_ glad _that you're here with us_."

I felt a smile twitch my lips as I placed a hand and rested my chin on his forearms. Chi was now rubbing against my calf, purring loudly in her attempt to comfort my thoughts.

"The third exam is a fight for life with the pride of your village and your own dreams at stake," the Hokage said, taking the pipe in his hand again.

It was easy to see the resemblance between Asuma and the Third with how much they smoked.

"Hmph," I heard Naruto. "Well, he sure convinced me."

"Totally," I smirked, earning a reassuring squeeze from Yoshimaru before he released me.

"Any test is fine," said a Sand ninja with a gourd strapped to his back, "just tell me the details of the exam already. I can handle anything you throw at me."

"Very well then," the Hokage nodded, raising a fist as encouragement. "Now listen closely, I'm going to tell you exactly what you all will be doing on the third exam."

"_Finally,_" I heard Satoshi mutter with his arms crossed.

The Third coughed, then a Chūnin appeared before him like he was kneeling to a king. I tilted my head again in question.

"Lord Hokage," the man said, "before you do, please allow me, Hayate Gekkō, appointed as proctor of the exam, to speak first."

"So be it," The Third told him.

"It's nice to meet you all," the man known as Hayate Gekkō said as he stood straight, keeping his back to us. He coughed a few times for turning around to reveal what he looked like, "There's something I would like all of you" -cough, cough- "to do before the third exam."

He coughed a few more times, making me worried. Was he that sick? If he is, shouldn't he be lying down and letting someone else do it? Is it a condition he's been born with, or maybe something got him during a mission at some point? Will this guy be okay? I gave a small whine.

He looked up after his coughing spasm, smiling, "We have to have a preliminary exam before we can move onto the real one."

I couldn't keep myself from say it: "Gekkō guy say _what_?"

My teammates chuckled at my response.

Sakura repeated, "A what?"

"Preliminary?!" Shikamaru shouted at him, "Just what do you mean by that?!"

"I'm sorry," Sakura said to Gekkō. "Excuse me, but I really don't see the point. What's this preliminary all about? Why can't we all just move on to the third exam?"

"_Brainless pinkette,_" I said under my breath as I crossed my arms. "_It's obvious that they weren't expecting so many genin to still be standing, too many for them to move on. They want to knock us down a few. And that dang Uchiha said that_ she_ had the best analytical skills on their team? They all must suck then._"

Satoshi snickered at me, "_You're_ still_ hung up on that, Miyu?_"

"_Heck yeah, I am,_" I glared at his back.

"Ah," Gekkō replied, "the first and second exams might have been too easy. The fact is, we never expected so many of you to still be to the rules of the Chūnin Exams, a preliminary round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the number of candidates remaining."

"But... Is that _fair_?" Sakura said.

"Nothing is_ fair_ in the world of the shinobi, Sakura" I snapped as my feline growled. She knew my temper. "Every day is a life or die situation. Every mission you risk the possibility of being killed. It's not fair, but you live with it. If we become stronger, our chances of survival increase. Our nation becomes stronger with each generation, though, these elders didn't expect so many... They should expect more next generation. With _their_ teachings, we become stronger. They've made us stronger."

By now, I was looking past The Third at my own teacher. She gave me a proud smile, nodding. I felt everyone's eyes on me, but I ignored them. Sakura really did get on my nerves with her stupidity. I have to learn to keep my temper in check.

"_Quiet_, maggot," Anko glared.

I glared right back at her, "Why don't you _quiet_ yourself, missy?"

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me, lady!"

Yoshimaru grabbed my arms from behind, "Breathe, kit-kat. We're not fighting just yet. You'll get your chance to release that built up energy. Just bottle it for now."

I sighed as Gekkō continued like nothing had happened, "It's just that at this stage, we have to speed things up a bit. As Lord Hokage said, a lot of important guest will be watching. We can't afford to waste their time. They've come to see only the best. So, if there are any of you who feel you're not in top physical condition, now's your chance to-"

He fell into another coughing attack.

_Poor guy,_ I thought, stopping my struggle against my teammate._ He should be the one to sit out for awhile. _My gaze fell from Gekkō to the boy in front of me. _Satoshi... I know your not going to be able to fight. Please... Don't push yourself. Get looked at by the medical ninja_.

"Sorry about that," Gekkō said as his attack subsided. "As I was saying, if any of you don't feel up to this, now's the time for you to bow out. The Premilinaries will be starting immediately"

"Come on!" Kiba shouted. "You mean right now?!"

"We just finished barely surviving the last exam," Ino whined. "Don't we get a break?"

"Man, what a drag..."

"'Ey," Choji asked, "when do we eat?"

I released a ragged breath, "I need a nice long bath with chocolate after all this..."

"_I deserve lots of treats and catnip,_" Chi grinned.

I glanced down at her, "Spoiled."

"And she knows it," Satoshi chuckled.

Yoshimaru grinned, "But she's a savior."

"That's for sure," I sighed, picking her up and burying my face against her dirty fur. My voice fell into a hushed tone, "_I don't know what would've happened had she and the others' not shown up. Rin might have just gotten the better of me._"

"_You're here now,_" Yoshimaru said.

Satoshi finished, "_And that's all that matters._"

I smiled, "My precious idiots, you always know how to cheer me up."

They looked at each other for a moment before Satoshi asked, "Did she just insult us in a compliment?"

"Yep," Yoshimaru answered with an annoyed look. "Only Miyu."

Chi gave a cat-like chuckle.

I grinned.


	30. Let The Preliminaries Begin!

"Oh, yeah, uh..." Gekkō said, trying to add more to his interruption, "Winners will be determined by One-on-One Combat Sudden Death, so like I said, if there's anyone who doesn't feel up to it, now's the time to raise your hand."

I grabbed the back of Satoshi's shirt, tugging lightly, "_Sato..._"

"_Miyu,_" he turned and grabbed my hand, "_I know you're worried, but I'm stronger than I seem._"

_"I know, you are,_" I watched something spark like lightning in his storm cloud eyes. "_That's why I'm worried._"

"_If you really think I need to sit out,_" he smiled reassuringly, "_then I will._"

"_I hate when you do that,_" I let my lashes fall shielding my eyes. "_You make that statement, then I feel bad because I feel like I'm holding you back. I just don't want your injuries to get worse than they are, Sato._" I looked up at him, "_You, Hinata, and Yoshimaru are my closest friends. I'd hate if something were to go wrong. I don't want you to possibly get set up against that Sand ninja or those Sound ninja._"

He released my hand and patted my cheek, "_All right._"

I caught the scent of tears, glancing over to Sakura, "She's crying again."

"_The big baby,_" Chi growled. "_She needs to stop crying over everything. It's not going to get her anywhere. An enemy isn't going to stop trying to kill her if she just breaks down and balls her eyes out. She needs to pick herself up and show the anger of a woman. That's why Sasuke doesn't like her. She needs to prove that she could protect herself._"

"It's just as I feared," my ears pricked at The Third's voice.

Ibiki spoke as I looked over at the older men, "What do we do with him?"

"We take him out of the Exam, hand him over to Black Ops, and let him keep him locked up," Anko's eyes shifted from the group of genin to the two adults next to her. "We have to keep that seal under control-"

"Oh," Kakashi's familiar voice rang in, "and he's just going to quietly go along with all this, huh? You really think so? You're forgetting, he's of the Uchiha clan."

"And the Uchiha were never ones to go through failure easily," Misaki nodded.

I grinned, glaring at Anko. _That dumb female. If I know anything about Sasuke, he won't give up. He's like Naruto in that matter. If she plans on locking him up for that stanky scent, then her happy butt better be locked up with him_.

Chi noticed my change, looking over to Anko, and hissed. Yoshimaru and Satoshi looked at her, too, as I felt my own growl start low at the back of my throat.

"I don't care what the heck he is!" Anko shouted at Kakashi, forgetting the headset on herself though it was off. "If stays, he's a danger to everyone! Don't you see? As he gets stronger, so does the Curse Mark! That thing is feeding off his chakra!" I watched as Anko gripped her own shoulder, "It's a forbidden jutsu that devours the one who bears it." She looked over at the Uchiha, "It's incredible that the kid's still standing. By now... he should be dead."

I felt my eyes widen.

"Lord Hokage," Anko turned back to him.

I shifted my gaze over to the Hokage to find him watching me. I sent him a silent plea, begging him to allow Sasuke to continue if the kid chose to. I knew Sasuke would never give up easily.

_Lord Hokage,_ I tried to will my thoughts to him, _you can't take Sasuke from these Exams. You can't lock him up unless you lock that brat of a proctor up, too! How is it that she would be able to walk around freely while he would be restrained? How would that be fair? You care for your people and their future. I know you do. Being locked up would destroy him and make him hold a grudge against the village for not hearing him. It probably wasn't his choice to have this stank follow him around. Please, Lord Hokage!_

The Third smiled at me, his old eyes full of wisdom. He said nothing, but I could tell that he heard my plea by the look in his eyes. He said nothing about my eavesdropping either, but I doubt he blamed me. The old man use to come chat with Sasuke and I when we were younger.

The smile soon disappeared when his eyes looked away from me, "Huh?"

I followed them to find Kabuto raising his hand, and I bristled automatically, "Okay, you got me. I'm out."

"But, Kabuto," I heard Naruto say.

Gekkō coughed, flipping through some papers on his clipboard, "Kabuto Yakushi, the Leaf Village, right?" He looked Kabuto over once, "Okay, you can step back."

"Gotcha'," he replied as he walked out of the columns of squads.

"Kabuto!" Naruto shouted, "Hold on a second! You can't quit! I don't get this! What's going on?"

"_Good riddance,_" I muttered, crossing my arms at him.

Chi chuckled, "_You're so mean, Miyu-chan. I like it._"

"Oh, Naruto," Kabuto looked over at him, "I'm sorry, but my body's just too beat up. I can't hack it. The fact is ever since orientation and that dust up with the Sound Village team, I've had no hearing at all in my left ear, and now to have to put my life on the line. To fight again right away without a break. I can't do it."

Naruto looked disappointed, but I felt my muscles just start to relax at the thought of him leaving. I wouldn't have to deal with that bad feeling around him anymore. I didn't trust anyone out of the Twelve Rookies and our teachers when it came to these exams. It wasn't possible. There was something weird going on with the scents of these foreign ninja.

My body tensed as Kabuto's eyes went to me, "There's also some people that would prefer that I stay out of here for a bit."

My lip twitched in a snarl as Yoshimaru grabbed my arm as I growled at him, "There's good reasons for it, too."

"Kabuto," my ears pricked again as I noticed one of his teammates turn ever so slightly, "what do you think your doing anyway. Have you forgotten..."

His voice drowned out as a high pitched screeched echoed the room. I fell to my knees with the need to curl up, gritting my teeth together and pressing my palms against my ears to block out the sound. It was deafening, like nails on a chalk board but worse.

Chi yowled, trying to cover her own ears.

"Gah!" I painfully pressed my palms against my head as I squeezed my eyes shut, "Yoshimaru, cover Chi's ears. _Now!_"

He obliged, covering her ears quickly. Satoshi got to his knees, placing a hand on my back. Neither of them understood what was going on. The entire place was probably looking at me like I was insane. It just hurt. My hypersensitive hearing wasn't helping at all in this situation, especially since the noise must be so high that only Chi and I could hear it.

Pain shot through my head.

_Darn it,_ I opened one eye to look around and noticed the mummy guy from the Sound looking at me,_ he must've know I was listening. Why would he care about Kabuto's plans if he was from the Leaf and this guy from the Sound? What the hecks going on?_ I growled at his amplifier when the sound started to fade.

I released a ragged breath as I watched Kabuto walk out of the crowd, smirking at me just before he left. Everyone turned to watch him leave as well, but it seemed like no one caught that little smirk. It sent chills down my spine. There was something about the gleam in his eyes that did it.

I didn't like that guy at all.

"_I don't... like this,_" I told my teammates, trying to get the ringing out of my ears. I glanced over to the Sound jōnin to see him smiling, "_There's something going on... Something bad, guys. I don't like the look in his eyes._"

"_It's going to be okay, Miyu,_" Satoshi told me, bringing me to my feet. "_We won't let him touch you. There's no way he'd be about to come near you with us around._"

As Satoshi brought me into his arms, I realized that I was shaking. I couldn't understand it. What was so intimidating about that guy that caused me to shake?

_It's almost like those times with Rin, _I told myself._ Those eyes were... They were similar to how she was looking at me in the forest. The bloodlust in them. I figured it was because of me, but now what? What what Kabuto's reason for looking at me like that? Also... Why haven't I seen him around the village before now? What was his teammate going to say before the wretched noise intervened? _

I felt eyes on me.

I looked around to find Kiba looking at me, eyes filled with worry and jealousy. I whimpered, burying my face against Satoshi's shoulder. I tried not to hurt him, but I didn't want anyone to see my face. I was just trying to stop this violent shivering.

Gekkō coughed, causing my teammates and I to separate from from each other, "Now, does anyone else... wanna' quit?"

My breath caught in my throat as I watched Satoshi's hand raise, "I'm out, too."

"Sato..." I muttered the nickname.

"Satoshi Miyamoto," Gekkō called, flipping through the clipboard again, "you're free to go."

"Are you sure, Satoshi?" Yoshimaru questioned.

"Yeah," he grinned a little. "Miyu was right when she said my injuries were pretty bad. I'm glad I've been able to still stand at this point. I'm going to quit while I'm ahead, so I don't accidentally kill myself from overworking it. You two go on and give me a show I'll never forget."

Yoshimaru smirked, high-fiving him, "You got it, bro'."

"Satoshi," I flew at him, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, "you get yourself fixed up by the medical core then come watch us fight, promise?"

"Promise," his arms wrapped around my midsection, returning the hug. "Now you fight until you haven't got any left, got it, leopardess?"

I pulled away from my teammate, grinning at him with my fangs, "Aye, aye."

With that, Satoshi left Yoshimaru and I standing there as he exited the room. He kept his back to us, but he waved before he turned the corner. I sighed, turning myself to the front.

Chi walked over and took Satoshi's placing, plopping her butt there like she was royalty.

"All right, Chi," I told her, watching The Third converse with Ibiki and Anko, "we're going to put our all into the rest of these exams... for Satoshi."

"_Aye, Capt'n,_" Chi's tail lashed around. "_We'll kick some butt!_"

"You got that right," Yoshimaru smirked.

"... Allow the boy to continue for now," I heard the Hokage speak, "and we'll see what happens."

"What?!" Anko jerked at him, "But Lord Hokage!"

"However," I watched the Hokage, "at the first sign of the Curse Mark growing or his power getting out of control, you will step in and stop it."

"Right," Ibiki nodded.

_I knew I could trust Ibiki,_ I smiled, _and I also knew not to trust Anko. I don't like her. She may be like me in other people's eyes, but not in mine. There's something about that woman that I just don't understand.._.

"But I-" Anko stopped whatever she was going to say, "As you wish..."

"All right then," Gekkō said smoothly, "we'll now begin the Preliminary Round. This round will consist of one-on-one individual combat at full battle intensity. This is _not_ an exercise. There are twenty-two of you remaining, so that means we'll need eleven matches. The surviving candidates from these eleven matches will advance to the third exam. As for the rules, there are none. You will fight until one dies, or concedes defeat, or is rendered physically incapable of continuing the contest. Naturally, those who are losing are urged to concede defeat promptly to avoid a fatal outcome. Furthermore, as proctor, I'm given a certain amount of leeway in judging the matches." He coughed, "I might occasionally intervene if the match seems hopeless to save as many lives as possible. Now, it's time to reveal what fate has been chosen for you."

He back at Anko, who nodded and turned to the upper right side of the hand-sign statue as she said, "Open the panel."

One of the panels from the wall moved upwards to reveal a black screen.

"The names of each pair of opponents are chosen completely at random. Before each match, these names will appear on the display behind me." Gekkō told us, turning to look at us now, "As there's nothing more to say, let's begin. In a moment, the names of the first two opponents will appear."

Everyone's heads turned up towards the screen, waiting to see who would go first. I could smell the emotions going through them: excitement, fear, anxiety, worry. No one wanted to go first, but they wanted to get it over with. The screen ran through the names of the remaining candidates until it bleeped. I felt my eyes widened just a bit.

_So soon,_ I thought. _That's so soon..._


	31. Cat's Growl - Uchiha's Battle

**YOROI AKADO**

**VS.**

**SASUKE UCHIHA**

"All right now," Hayate Gekkō, the proctor for the preliminaries and third exam, told everyone. "Those whose names have been drawn, come forward."

"Uchiha," Kiba heard_ her_ voice, "be careful out there. Don't get too reckless, duck butt."

Sasuke Uchiha smirked at her as he passed her, "Try not to get too excited during the match, Miyu."

She snorted at his reply, but she smiled back at him.

He felt a small pang of jealousy at her being worried over the most popular guy from their academy years. She was his. He claimed her. Sasuke better stay away. He wasn't going to lose Miyu so soon. Not after he had finally realized. He had also felt the jealousy boil in him when he saw Miyu's teammates comfort her. He was worried, and he wanted to run over to comfort her himself.

"You have been chosen for the first match," Gekkō spoke again. "Yoroi Akado and Sasuke Uchiha. Are there any objections?"

"None here," Sasuke said without looking at the proctor.

"No," Yoroi also replied without removing his gaze from Sasuke's.

Kiba noticed that there was a strange look in Sasuke's eyes, but he was distracted by the sound of someone taking a step. His eyes went immediately to Miyu, noticing her backing up towards Yoshimaru. She was looking directly at their old classmate. Something wasn't right with the stare she was giving him. It was mixed with curiosity and fear.

"Uh," Gekkō caught the attention of everyone, "all right then. Let's begin the first match." He coughed, "Okay. Everyone other than the two opposing candidates will now clear the area and move to the upper level." He gestured to the balconies.

Team by team, the genin made their way to the second level of the room. The Leaf shinobi were on the right side of the room while the foreign shinobi went to the left. Kiba had to resist the urge to run over to Miyu the moment he had the chance, but he saw that she was glaring at someone. His eyes followed her gaze to find the Sound Village jōnin. Kiba didn't really understand what was going on with the strange girl, but he figured it was intimidation when he heard the cat's growl. The final person to make it to the stairs was, of course, Kakashi.

Kiba sighed and leaned over the railing to watch the fight. Akamaru whined a little, "_Kiba, aren't you going to check on Miyu-chan?_"

"_In a bit, boy,"_ he whispered to his friend. "_Let's give her a minute to calm down._"

"Then if you're ready," Gekkō moved his hands around a bit, "then let the match begin."

Sasuke went into a defensive stance as Yoroi made the common _Tiger_ handsign. Kiba noticed Yoroi's right hand glowed light blue with chakra. Shuriken was thrown from Yoroi's side, but it was only to be countered by the Uchiha's own shuriken.

Something must've hit him, though, because Sasuke took a fall to the ground.

Suddenly, Yoroi was in front of the Uchiha, bringing his foot to the ground. It made a small crater in the floor after Sasuke just barely dodged the attack. He stabbed the ground with a kunai, using the momentum to turn himself toward Yoroi. Sasuke tripped him and put the other male into an arm hold with his legs wrapped around Yoroi's head.

"Hey," Naruto's loudmouth shouted, "he got him!"

Yoroi grabbed Sasuke's shirt with his captive arm before it started to glow again. Sasuke seemed frozen in place as the other pulled his arm free then slammed it back against the Uchiha's chest. Yoroi got up and jumped a few feet away from Sasuke, who looking like he was having chest pains.

His body was shaking as the Uchiha gripped his own shirt.

"Sasuke," Sakura shouted as Yoroi ran towards him, "_no_!"

Instantly, Sasuke sat up just in time to see Yoroi jump up. The Sound ninja's glowing hand reached out and grabbed Sasuke's forehead. He screamed as he fell back with Yoroi sitting on him. The Uchiha's hands were on the other's forearm, seeming to be trying to pry it off him.

"C'mon, Uchiha," he heard Miyu say, pounding her fist against the metal rail and making it rattle under her forse, "kick his ass!"

"Miyu," Misaki, her sensei, scolded, "you have to watch your language. It's not cute."

"Sensei," Miyu growled in return as the demon cat, Chi, jumped to the girl's shoulder, "I'll tell you what happened later. For now, I'm going to cuss and swear like a drunken sailor on a hot day."

Kiba knew she meant what had happened in the forest. He wanted to know how Miyu had finished the fight with that girl, but he was too afraid to ask at the same time.

There was a wave of mirthless laughter that drew Kiba back to the fight.

He saw the two in the same position, but Sasuke only had one hand on Yoroi's forearm. Soon that grip was released as Sasuke's hand fell limply to his side. He said something, but Kiba couldn't quite catch it.

"Get... Off... Me!" Sasuke shouted at him as his opponent received a kick to the stomach.

"So," the opponent straightened, "you still got some strength left, huh? Impressive, for a guinea pig." Kiba could hear the cold smile in his voice, "Don't worry, little man. I'll make it short and sweet."

His hand started to glow again before he made a dash toward the Uchiha. Sasuke stumbled slightly as he got to his feet. Yoroi striked, but Sasuke was just barely able to dodge it. More strikes happened and Sasuke continued dodging them.

It seemed like the Sound ninja touched him because Sasuke stumbled under his arm, trying to get away. Yoroi said something, angering the Uchiha, which made Sasuke try to kick him.

He dodged it easily.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted loudly again. Kiba gave him an annoyed look. He understood that he was trying to encourage his teammate, but he's had enough of Naruto's annoying tone for awhile. "Come _on_, man! What was_ that_?! And you call yourself an _Uchiha_?!" Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "You're going to let this dude walk all over you! Come on! Stop messing around and get it in gear!"

"Let's get this show on the road, duck butt," Kiba was surprised to hear the bored tone in her voice. He looked over to find Miyu leaning over the rail with her arms crossed. He could almost _see_ the cat-like tail waving playfully as she spoke, "You're entertainment is starting to lack. I always thought you were one to put on a good show, but the audience is slowly depleting until you show something_ big_." Kiba especially noticed the wink she sent him.

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit, as though he came up with an idea from what she said.

Yoroi ran towards him again, starting to become predicable with his attacks, "I'll show you to turn your back on me!" The Uchiha's head quickly turned back to his opponent, "Big mistake, and your last!"

Once again, Yoroi made multiple strikes for Sasuke's head, but he dodged each one.

Everyone was watching the fight intensely, waiting for contact to be made. The tension amongst the audience could have be been by a knife. If the Rookie was hit once more, the battle could possibly be over.

Soon, Sasuke disappeared for a moment before reappearing with his foot toward Yoroi's jaw.

The opponent was sent in the air.

Kiba caught the scent of blood.

Sasuke rolled onto all fours behind leaping into the air himself. He was behind Yoroi's floating body within seconds.

They stayed like that.

Kiba heard a low, feminine growl and knew who it was without needing to look.

Something was setting Miyu off.

Having worry and curiosity getting the better of him, he looked over to the girl. She was backing up towards the wall, glaring at the two. Chi, having noticed her mistress's distress, bristled and arched her back as she hissed. Yoshimaru and Misaki were looking at her as curiously as he was.

Suddenly, Sasuke screamed.

Kiba's attention snapped back to the fight as he heard Hinata run behind him over to her friend. There was a small series of kicks from behind Yoroi before Sasuke got an opening to slam his fist against the other's chest. Just before they hit the ground, Sasuke sent the heel of his foot straight for the stomach before he slid away on his back.

They both lay on the ground, still**.**

Gekkō walked over to Yoroi's body, seeming to be inspecting it. Searching for any sign of the male getting back up to fight, or any sign that he was even alive still. Kiba saw him check for a pulse and nod.

It was as he was inspecting the body that Sasuke shakily got to his feet.

"I'm declaring this match over," Gekkō told him. "As the winner of this preliminary round, Sasuke Uchiha advances to the finals."

Kiba instinctively made his way over to Miyu as he heard Naruto's cheers. She was still growling, her eyes turning to pure ice.

Those eyes weren't focused on Yoroi like he had been expecting...

They were focused on Sasuke.

No one was touching her as she watched the other male that just moments ago she was teasing. Yoshimaru kept Hinata behind him, despite her pleas, in case he needed to use himself as her shield. Misaki was asking her student what was wrong.

Chi was hissing, still bristled. Akamaru whimpered, bringing Chi's attention to him as he hopped out of Kiba's hoody. He crawled to her on his belly to show that he wasn't a threat. The feline seemed to have calmed a bit as her friend nudged her with his muzzle.

Hinata was looking worriedly at her friend, "Miyu-chan..."

"_Kiba,_" Chi mewled the obvious, "_something's off. Miyu's not acting normally._"

He nodded, reaching a hand out to her despite Yoshimaru's warning.

He barely touched her shoulder before those ice eyes snapped to him. It was as though she wanted to rip his throat out for even touching her. It horrified him.

Her growl slowly faded as recognition filled her irises with the pale blue. Her tensed body physically relaxed a bit.

"Miyu," he spoke surprisingly calmly, "what's going on?"

She just shook her head, "Nothing, I'm just a bit edgy."

He knew she was lying.

That growl was full of warning and confusion, like being confronted with a new enemy. Sasuke wasn't an enemy, though. Sure, the guy think he thinks too highly of himself and he's a snob, but he wasn't an enemy. He was actually a pretty close friend of hers after both of their clans perished. Kiba use to see the two train together, and Sasuke would defend her from when Kiba use to pick on her.

"Sensei," Miyu walked away from him as his thoughts scattered, "I need to speak with you. Now."

"Let's make sure your match isn't coming up next," Misaki nodded understandingly, though her periwinkle eyes watching Kakashi and Sasuke walk away, "then we'll talk."

"Okay then," Gekkō told everyone, "let's move right on to the second match."

Kiba noticed that everyone's but Miyu's and Misaki's eyes were towards the randomizing screen.

The two females were looking to the exit that Sasuke and Kakashi had walked through. Worry and fear were mixed in Miyu's ever-changing blue eyes while something else was mixed in Misaki's. Her crush on Kakashi had been as obvious as Hinata's on Naruto. Kakashi just had his nose too far in his book to ever realize.

The screen beeped the next contestants. Misaki and Miyu nodded to each other as they left the room for a few moments, wishing luck to the Leaf Village genin. Yoshimaru followed in suit, not wanting to be left behind. Miyu sent an icy glare to the Sound genin that was to face him.

Quietly, Hinata grabbed Kiba's wrist and pulled him back over to their own sensei. He hadn't noticed he was about to follow Miyu until she had tightened her grip around his wrist. His eyes lingered on the door for a few moments before looking down at the two figures standing across from each other with Gekkō in the middle.

Kiba felt his own uneasiness as he found his friend, cool as a cucumber, nonchalantly shoving his hands in his pockets. The uneasiness faded as he noticed the opponent had both arms in a sling. A cocky smile stretched Kiba's lips.

The bug nerd had this in the bag.

**SHINO ABURAME**

**VS.**

**ZAKU ABUMI  
**


	32. Yoshimaru

The three of them came to the hallway just outside of the arena. Yoshimaru had been dying to find out what happened after he and Satoshi were knocked out. He had seen a strange girl's body being dragged away by his teammate, and he heard bits and pieces of what Miyu had been telling Hinata and Shino despite his conscious screaming at him to sleep. Or was it the major headache? He didn't know.

"All right, Miyu," Misaki's tone lost all of its usual cheerfulness, meaning she was down to business, "what happened that got the boys and you so wounded?"

He remained quiet, allowing Miyu to tell the full story of what happened. Yoshimaru had leaned his tall figure against the wall, watching his teammate with curiosity and partial worry. It couldn't have been good with how shaken she started to look. He had to resist the urge to go over and comfort her. She'd only push him away because she, too, lost all the happy-go-lucky Miyu that she usually was.

"In the forest," her eyes dropped for a moment, just a moment, before looking back up at their sensei like she was reporting to the Hokage herself, "three males attacked us. They used the scroll as an excuse, but they were really after me. They knocked all three of us out. When I came to, Yoshimaru and Satoshi were nowhere to be found. The ringleader of the males was called Ryuunosuke from the Stone, though, he was working for someone." She bit her lip for a moment, hesitating.

"What about this Ryuunosuke kid?"

Misaki's voice was calm, but there was clear worry in the sensei's eyes. It was never a problem to see that the woman treated her students like they were hr own kids. Especially when she knew something was really bothering them. She was a mother figure to all of them, but mainly to Miyu, ever since they joined the team.

Yoshimaru continued to listen intently to the story. He didn't mind that he was becoming invisible to the two. He just wanted to know what happened before he spoke. The girl might answer his mental questions before he even needed to ask.

"Ryuunosuke, he..." The girl's chest rose and fell in a silent sigh, "He was killed once he was talking about his reward for bringing me to the real ringleader. The other two males weren't working for him in the end. They smirked at the fact he was killed. They were from the Sound Village." Miyu's arms went around her as though she were trying to hold herself up, "One of them was Rin. Rin Nekoshima. She's alive, and she's out for blood."

"Most specifically..." Misaki kept an even tone, like she knew exactly what was going on, "Yours."

"Yes," the girl nodded numbly. "I was her hostage, her prisoner. While I was unconscious, she scraped up my body. We got into a bit of a struggle when she realized I was awake. She had a feline, Kira, that was about to attack me when Chi came to my rescue." She smiled graciously to the white cat that sat at her feet before returning her attention to their sensei, "Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyūga also came. They were defeated by Rin and her lackeys. I fought with Rin for awhile until she gained the upper hand." She swallowed, blinking the shininess from her eyes, "Kiba Inuzuka intervened the attack, using himself to shield me."

"Do they know?"

Again, she nodded, "After I defeated Rin, I healed them using my clan's blood. Kiba seemed to have been the only one to see the past. I did tell Shino and Hinata, though. It was their right to finally know. I tossed Rin and her lackeys into a river, being unable to kill her." Miyu bowed her head, "I'm sorry, sensei."

Without saying a word, Misaki pulled Miyu into a hug.

_Crap._ It was the first word he thought of when Miyu nodded. _No wonder that dog boy got so defensive with her the moment he woke up. Then this girl called Rin appears and Miyu's in a whole new shift. It's like something about this girl... Wait, she said that girl was part of her clan._

"Wait," Yoshimaru held his hand out, signalling a pause. The two looked at him like it was the first time they noticed his presence. He ignored the gazes and continued, "What's wrong with this Rin girl? She's from your family, right? Why would she try to hurt you?"

Yoshimaru had never heard much about Miyu's actual family. Whenever he tried asking, Miyu would get wide-eyed or get a somber look and run off. Satoshi told him that there had always been a few family issues, so she didn't like talking about it very much. He tried asking Misaki about her, but the sensei just told him to ask her himself. After the Nekoshima Massacre, Miyu shut herself down more. She kept mainly to Satoshi and Hinata. It took Yoshimaru a lot to break into her little group, but he'd been able to do it. He was never told, though, about what had happened.

From the defeated look Miyu gave him right then, it seemed like he was about to find out. She walked over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders, and forced him to sit. There was the somber look again as she spoke, "Yoshimaru, there's something I'm going to tell you. I'm telling you because you are close to me, and you need to know, okay? This is only between our squad and Team Eight now, understand? No one else."

He nodded, fully intended to keep whatever secret she was about to tell him. He's been through a lot with Miyu and Satoshi. He had no intention on breaking the bonds with his two closest friends. They had always helped him when he was at his worst of times, so he was willing to do whatever he needed to help them.

Her claws started to dig into his skin, but he decided it was better off to remain quiet as she went on, "Rin is a girl from my clan. She, along with the others excluding my parents and uncle, abused me each and every day since the day I could walk. Do you have any idea why they would?"

He shook his head in reply.

"It was because of Ikari's spirit within me."

_Ikari,_ the gears started to turn in his head, _and probably the silver-eyed one, too. She may not know about it, but it's there. I mean, just look at Naruto. People have hated him, isolated him, because of what he is. That's why he's always been a prankster. To get attention, good or bad._

Her hands released his shoulders, bringing one of them to her chest in a fist, "Torment, beatings, verbal abuse. All of it. They did that to me every day without my parents knowing because I didn't want to get them involved due to the threats that were thrown at me. _Ikari._ I don't know why she was such a panic to that wretched clan, but they wanted me dead because they saw me as a vessel for her... No, a _demon_. One day, the clan attacked my home. It went up in flames after a spear struck through my mother. Rin's father, Mamoru, killed my own father with his own hands. I don't know what happened between the time of me falling to the first floor of the burning house and the moment I stood..." Her body shook, and, instinctively, Yoshimaru reached for her hand. She smiled sadly at him as she gave his hand a squeeze before letting go, "The moment I stood surrounded by my clan members' bodies. Their blood stained my clothes. My uncle came towards me with Kya, but I was in such a traumatic state that I didn't know if I'd hurt him or not. I ran from him."

"Miyu..." Yoshimaru didn't know what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind as her eyes fell, "It wasn't your fault."

She laughed drily, "It clearly was. I was surrounded by the fallen bodies of that clan. Their blood was on my clothes and on my kunai. I supposed I went mental from the abuse. The murder of my parents must've made me finally snap." Her gaze returned to him, "Yoshimaru, I killed the Nekoshima clan. All but Hikaru, and apparently Rin. For my mistake of not killing her, she's out for blood. It's either mine or everyone I care for. That girl has gone mad with revenge. It's my fault. It's all my faul-"

"Enough," Misaki's tone held enough power to quiet the girl, and him, from saying anymore. Their sensei crossed her arms under her chest as she looked at the both of them then keeping her eyes on Miyu, "What else was there that you wanted to talk about?"

Yoshimaru watched Miyu's entire body shudder from the question. She had been acting odd ever since they met Anko, and now it's towards Sasuke, too. A friend of hers.

"Sasuke's scent," she said, her mood completely changing back to the soldier reporting, but she still held his hand for support, "it changed from the time before the second exam started to now. It's tainted now. It's similar to Anko's scent, which isn't so good either. It smells like an evil. I don't know. There was also a moment where I thought I saw flames spreading like moving tattoos on him. It's just bad news, sensei."

She nodded, "I see. It's obvious that Kakashi knows of what's going on with his student, so we'll have to stay out of it."

"But, sensei-!"

"Miyu," the elder woman put a hand on her shoulder as an interruption, "just because we're staying out of it, doesn't mean we won't keep a good eye on your friend. I'll talk to Kakashi about it later, all right?"

She nodded.

"What's going on?"

The three of them turned to see a familiar face walking towards them.

Well, what parts of the face that weren't covered by bandages. He looked just like the Sound mummy, but his hair, eyes, and mouth weren't covered. Neither was the nose except from a strip of gauze that went down it diagonally from his right eye. His arms were wrapped up and his left was in a sling. His clothes had dried blood stains and dirt all over.

"Satoshi," Miyu whimpered his name.

"Hey, man," Yoshimaru walked over to his friend, bumping fists with him, "how're you feeling?"

"Broken," his comrade grinned. "I got all mummified so I can come watch the matches with you guys. The paramedics fought with me for a bit, but I showed them who's boss." His eyes flickered over to their cat-like teammate, "Guess someone's stubbornness rubbed off on me over the years."

She smirked, "Your own fault for being around me so much."

"All right," Misaki spoke up again, "so tell me what happened to the boys."

Yoshimaru stepped forward this time, "After Miyu was knocked out by that 'Ryuunosuke' guy, Satoshi and I attacked. We fought him for awhile, and the guy was pretty good since he was fighting both of us with one hand. He had Miyu over his shoulder the entire time, so we had to be careful with our attacks, too. He ended up defeating us, though. Satoshi ended up getting the most damage, obviously." Yoshimaru turned to look at his feminine friend, "I'm sorry we couldn't save you, Miyu."

She smiled a little, "Sorry for turning into the damsel in distress."

"Sorry for the fact that I got hurt," Satoshi butted in with his sarcasm.

They both rolled their eyes at him as Yoshimaru spoke up, "Always gotta' ruin the moment, huh?"

Miyu snorted, "You wish, Yoshi."

He grinned teasingly at her and slung his arms around her shoulders, "Ah, but next time we'll be able to save you. I'll promise you that. We'll get stronger to the point that all three of us will become ANBU level."

"I'd enjoy the day that the three of us become ANBU. The squad will be the most powerful out of the rookies." She sent a glance over to their sensei, "We've already got one out of four."

"Aye, aye," Satoshi grinned. "Misaki-sensei was an ANBU girl, wasn't she? What mask was it again, the wolf?"

"Yeah," Yoshimaru nodded, "I remember seeing it on her wall."

"So, shall we head back?" Misaki asked, seeming to be done with, and avoiding, the conversation.

The three of them grinned at her annoyed expression. No one said a word because there was so much more that was needed to be said, but none of them wanted to step up to the plate. Miyu seemed like she really had more so say, though, but she stayed silent for once.

Something was going to happen.

Something big.


	33. Cold Shoulders

He stared longingly at the doorway that Miyu and her team had walked through. Shino's match was about to begin, but he was still worried about her. She seemed off ever since she had gotten to the tower. She pushed him aside, like he wasn't even there, when she walked out.

_Did she go after Sasuke? Could be because of what I did?_ Kiba questioned himself as he watched the fight, but he wasn't really seeing it though._ Did I move too fast on her? After years and years of picking on and torturing her, then to tell her that I've made a bond with her. Did it scare her? Did it confuse her? Is that why she didn't come near me?_ He mentally shook himself._ No, she kissed me back. That had to have meant something. I felt something there... but did she? She_ was_ looking at Sasuke. Does she prefer him? It'd be understandable since he's always protected her from me. They've grown close... Then why would she have been growling at him? What's going on with her?_

"Kiba-kun," Hinata's shy voice, followed by a hand on his shoulder, startled him, "are you okay?"

"I'm just worried," he told her in an emotionless tone.

Hinata just smiled at him, "Miyu-chan's always been strange. After the massacre, she shut down on everyone, including me and her own uncle. I hadn't known how bad it was until she told me in the forest, but now I understand. It was probably hard for her to see that girl again."

"I guess..." He sighed heavily, "Hey, Hinata, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

He hated the jealous feeling that boiled in his gut, but he had to know, "Does... Does Miyu have like Sasuke?"

Hinata's eyes widened in surprise, "Why would you think that all of a sudden?"

"Well," he ran a hand over his face, hating that he was going to have this talk with Hinata, "they've been friends for a long time, and Sasuke's always been there for her. So, I was wondering if she had a crush on him. Was I wrong for what I did back in the forest?"

Hinata laughed.

Frustrated, he glared at her. He voice rose a little even, "Why the heck are you laughing at me?!"

Her laughter died down after a few seconds, but she continued smiling, "Kiba-kun... if she had a crush on Sasuke-kun, why would she have reacted like that?"

"Hmph." He put his chin on his crossed arms, looking away from her, "Maybe to toy with my new feelings as revenge for all the years I've picked on her."

It was Hinata's turn to glare, "Do you really think Miyu-chan is like that? Honestly."

"No..." He sighed again, "I just don't know what to do for her. I mean, I _really_ like her, Hinata. Does this mean that we're a couple now or not? What happens if my mom finds out? There's just a lot of complications to this whole thing. I mean, why do I have to like _her_?"

Hinata shook her head, "Then ask her. You can deal with the rest afterwards." Hinata turned her back to him, "And if you really like her like you say, then you should already know why you do."

With that, Hinata walked back over to Kurenai, leaving Kiba alone with his dog and his thoughts.

Instead of falling back into mindless wondering that would only drive himself crazier, he turned his attention to the fight. Shino and the Zaku guy were in the middle of battle at the moment. Kiba felt guilty for not watching the whole thing and supporting his teammate like Naruto had been, but his mind didn't allow him.

To Kiba's complete surprise, though, Shino was lying on the ground with dust rising over him. Soon it had completely engulfed his teammate's body.

_No... No way._ His eyes were huge from shock. _How could he have even laid a scratch on Shino? That's impossible!_

"All right, fool," Shino's opponent grinned, "had enough?"

The smoke started to clear away, revealing a shadowy figure getting to its feet. Zaku's expression shifted into a shocked one.

"He's..." Zaku seemed to be leaning forward a little, as if to get a better look, "There's no way!"

Kiba was the first to hear the bugs, or at least he thought so.

"Well," her voice appeared next to Hinata, "I knew Shino was going to have this in the bag. He was always a sore loser, so he had to win no matter what the game was. I'm glad that he decided not to be a pushover with this guy."

Startled, Kiba's attention snapped toward the voice to find her standing there. She wasn't looking at him, but he could see the small smile on her lips. He noticed an odd scent on her. It smelled like her teammate, Satoshi. Giving her a quick once-over, he realized that she was wearing a hoody that hadn't been on her before instead of the one she had earlier.

Hinata had a worried expression on her face, but it turned into relief the moment the smoke cleared, "Shino..."

Kiba went to say something about the jacket, "Hey-"

"Those kikaichū beetles are pretty helpful to have on your side," Miyu interrupted him, keeping her own smile on.

"Great," Zaku's annoyed tone stole everyone's attention. "Now that you've freaked us all out, what happens next?"

Kiba grinned, noticing the swarm crawling up from behind Zaku's oblivious figure. He completely forgot about what he was going to say to the girl. It wasn't until the Shino's bugs were just feet away that the opponent realized them.

The bugs started to close in at an increasing rate.

"They're a rare species of parasitic beetles that attack their prey in a swarm, eating its chakra," Shino explained. "An army of this size... will suck you dry in less than a minute. You're only intelligent option is to forfeit the match. You can't fight two opponents at once. If you use your good arm against me, my friends will swarm in from behind. Conversely, if you use your good arm to keep them at bay, then you'll have me on your blind side. Either way, your defeat will be certain... and unpleasant." Shino's hands went up in front of his face, forming a hand-sign, "It's wise to always have an ace in the hole."

The room was silent despite the beetles and Zaku's panicked panting. They were all waiting for his decision. He kept looking from Shino to the bugs and back again.

With a roar, Zaku pointed his left fist at Shino. He opened it to reveal the hole in the center of his palm that conducted the air pressure, "Now you've done it." He whipped his right arm, the one that was still in the sling, out in a closed fist towards the beetles, "Now you've made me mad!"

Slowly, the opponent opened his fist. It was obvious that he was fighting immense pain to try gaining control over it. The bones still haven't repaired themselves no matter how much of a tough guy he acts like. It would've taken some serious medical jutsu to be able to move the bones within the arm and fix them within such a short period.

Grinning, Zaku didn't face Shino as he spoke, "Like you've said yourself, 'always have an ace in the hole,' _right?!_"

"What the..." Kiba leaned forward a little bit, "I thought that guy's right arm was shot."

"That's not right," He could hear the surprise and irritation in Miyu's voice. "No fair! Deception!"

"Yes, Miyu," Satoshi rolled his eyes, "because an enemy is going to do fair play."

She glanced sideways at her teammate, "You never know. People are weird."

"Like you should be talking," Yoshimaru laughed.

With another battle cry, Zaku went to unleashed a large blast of chakra towards both Shino and the beetles... but something happened. His face was frozen with shock, fear, or both. Kiba's own surprise caused him to gasp as the guy's arms went completely limp.

"My arms!" He shouted. "What's wrong with them!?"

"The beetles got him," Miyu said just before Zaku shouted gave a shout of surprise.

Shino appeared behind him, "While I was distracting you with my helpful advice, I was also sending some of my little_ friends_ to plug up those bothersome wind holes in your hands. Both hands just to be sure. You see, while an ace in the hole _is_ good, _two_ aces are better."

Humiliated and raging, Zaku went to kick at Shino, but Shino was faster and punched him in the face. Zaku flew a small distance away from him.

Shino walked towards him and stood over his opponent while Gekkō went over to the groaning male on the ground. Kiba could smell a small bit of blood, and he saw the holes that were created in the guy's arms from the blocked chakra passageway. It had to get out someway, so it broke through the skin.

"The winner is Shino Aburame," Gekkō announced.

_I knew he was going to win. Like she said, he's a sore loser,_ Kiba grinned.

The three of them turned as they heard Shino's footsteps come up the stairs.

"Oh, well, uh... Congratulations, Shino-kun," Hinata told him in her usual hesitant voice.

Kiba continued grinning at his teammate, "Way to go. Good work."

"Awesome job, Shino," Miyu added.

"Hmph." Shino's tone was cold and annoyed, "Just see that you three do the same."

_Oh, yeah? Who died and made you team leader, huh?!_ Kiba growled, biting his tongue to keep himself from saying what he was thinking.

Akamaru barked at him.

"Pfft," Miyu crossed her arms. "I'll always try to put on a good show, so just you watch, Shino."

"Uh... All right, everyone." Gekkō tried to speak up to gain everyone's attention, "Moving right on to the third match."

**MISUMI TSURUGI**

**VS**

**KANKURO**

* * *

"Kiba."

He turned to see Miyu with her arms crossed, tapping her foot at him. She was still wearing the jacket. It was mixing her scent with her teammate's, and he didn't like it too much. Yoshimaru was leaning against the wall to her left, as if he were just casually leaning there and not being nosy. Satoshi had ended up returning with them, leaning against the rail with his bandaged arms crossed.

Jealousy was still biting at him, so he spoke a little bitterly to her, "Yeah? What do you want?"

Something flashed in her crystallized eyes, but it was gone before he could figure out what it was. Her teammates shifted in their positions, but they stayed back. She looked away from him as she spoke again, "I wanted to check on your shoulder."

He'd completely forgotten about it.

In all actuality, he felt perfectly fine.

_Better_ than fine.

He still felt like he could take on the world as long as he had Akamaru with him.

As though the dog could read his thoughts, Akamaru barked.

In return, the cat meowed at him.

"It's fine," he told her. "Nothing to worry about."

"Nice to know." She turned to walk away from him, "Sorry for asking."

With that, she headed towards her sensei. The moment she started walking away, he instantly felt bad. He straightened, looking to chase after her. Her teammates sent him a glare that froze him in his spot before they went after her instead.

"Now what's the problem with you?" Shino turned towards him.

* * *

I wouldn't have gone over by him had I known he was going to act like that. I would've stayed away, but I was worried. He had been wounded because of me, so I wanted to see how he was doing. It was my own fault. I just wasn't expecting him to act so cold.

"_Curiosity killed the cat,_" I muttered.

_I should've known that it was just a foolish desire,_ I scolded myself. _What he did was probably just my wild imagination playing tricks on me again... That's right. We're opposites. Cat and dog. Feline and canine. There's no possibility of equality between us_..._ It just... It hurts. It felt so real..._

I could feel the tears start to prick at my eyes but never surface.

_Enough._ Ikari's powerful tone sent my body into a shudder._ Miyu, you are the heir to the Nekoshima family. Once Hikaru steps down, it's your turn. You need to stop acting like a crying child and start living up to the role that life has set for you. If the boy refuses to your beauty, inside and out, then you have no need for him_.

_But... I am a child, Ikari._ I wanted to scream, but I kept silent as I sent my thoughts to her._ I'm a genin that's trying to live up to becoming a chūnin before I can even think about stepping up to becoming head of my clan. I-_

A hand fell lightly on my shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. I looked behind me to see Yoshimaru smiling at me, "Hey, don't let dog breath get you down, kit-kat. He's probably just being moody. I can go have a talk with him if ya' want?"

Having a heavy feeling on my chest, I shook my head at him, "No... No. It's fine."

I leaned forward, placing my forearms on the rail. My hands dangled loosely as I watched the current match. What looked like a wooden puppet had itself wrapped around Kabuto's teammate like it were giving him a very _friendly_ hug. Four arms were firmly around the male as he struggled, slowly squeezing the life out of his captive body.

When the thing looked up, I felt my own eyes widen. It resembled a three-eyed, four-armed humanoid with jagged teeth and spiky brown hairstyle protruding from the top of its head and framing the sides. It wore a ragged, black cloak that was most likely hiding weapons that its master installed in him. My eyes traveled to the discarded body-like object wrapped in bandages.

The mummified body-object unraveled itself.

With his back to the Leaf shinobi on the second level and his opponent, Kankuro was crouched to the ground with the ribbon of bandages in one hand. The long ribbon spiraled around him as it fell to the floor. I was able to see the chakra covering the Sand ninja's hand and the strings extending from his fingertips to the puppet's body.

The arms around the Sound ninja tightened their grip, and the sounds of wood creaking were heard until he shouted a painful, "I give!"

The chakra threads faded away, causing the puppet to collapse with the opponent's body. The puppet fell on top of him.

Gekkō raised his hand, signalling that the match was over, "Because his opponent is unable to continue, the winner is Kankuro."

"Two against on is hitting below the belt, isn't it?" I heard Naruto speak, "I mean, is that thing even _fair_, Kakashi-sensei?"

"It isn't really two against one," Kakashi told him. "It's a puppet, not another ninja."

"Yeah, it's the Puppet Master Jutsu," Sakura spoke the obvious as usual, which caused me to roll my eyes. "He's controlling the puppet with chakra. It's a ninja tool, like a shuriken."

"Besides, Naruto," Misaki walked over, running a hand through her hair, "it's similar to Miyu and Chi. Only, they're combination attacks rely on each other, their bond, and their teamwork. As long as one is willing to work with the other, the attack should come out beautifully. It's just that the Sand ninja is using an inanimate object, which is just him controlling the puppet."

This time when I rolled my eyes, it wasn't out of annoyance. It was because Misaki was trying to show off to Kakashi. I smiled at her, finding it partially ridiculous how he and Naruto can be so blind. It was slightly irritable with Kakashi since he was suppose to be a great ninja. Shouldn't he be able to tell?

A familiar meow caught my attention.

I looked down to see my feline sitting on her rump and looking up at me with forest eyes, "Yes?"

She rubbed herself against the side of my leg, getting white fur on my leggings, "_Don't worry, Miyu-chan. I still love you, and I always will. We can get through anything._"

"I love you, too, Chi," I smiled at her, "and I know. It'll get better."

My eyes found their way over to Kiba, who was staring back at me. Something flickered in his eyes, but I couldn't read it. I looked away from him as the pinkette walked passed my back.

"Somehow."

I noticed that Ino had followed after her. I guess the she either wanted to talk to Sakura, or see if the pinkette was going to try starting yet another one of their idiotic arguments.

They weren't gone long, sadly.

_BEEP_.

I looked up at the screen, and I felt myself smirk, "Oh, this will be _good_."

**SAKURA HARUNO**

**VS.**

**INO YAMANAKA**


	34. Rin's Awakening

With a groan of pain, the copper-haired girl sat up. Her shirt clung to her, but her skirt floated around her like she in a drafty area. She looked down to find herself sitting in a river of chilly clear water. Her green eyes narrowed at her teammates, if she could even call them that. They were more like servants who feared her temper. The two boys knew not to test her.

A weak mewl carried to her sensitive ears.

Scrambling to her feet, Rin hurried over to the blob of damp fur just a few feet away. She fell to her knees, scooping up her partner into her arms and cradling her, "Kira, are you okay?_ Kira?_"

"_I'm all right,_" she purred faintly.

Her gray fur was matted to her muscled body, but Rin could feel something thicker than water on her hand. She could smell it. She pulled her hand away to see it tainted red despite the some of it rubbing on the fur.

Blood.

The girl laid her wounded cat to the ground before digging frantically into her pouch for gauze and something to clean the injury. Once found, she ran her fingers through the fur slowly, searching for any openings that the beast that _demon_ claimed as her partner.

Rin cleaned and wrapped Kira up quickly then looked towards her feline's head to find that only one eye had been watching her. The beast had made a deep gash that went from the entrance of her ear, across the eye, to across her muzzle. The right eye remained shut.

"_If you think this is bad,_" Kira's ears twitched as she moaned a painful meow, "_you should see the other._"

Rin smiled softly to her trusted feline, "You got that beast good, didn't you?"

"_Yes, ma'am,_" she shut her good eye as Rin patched up the gash. "_I'm not going to lose it, am I?_"

"I don't think so," was all Rin could tell her, but she wasn't confident with the response.

"Boss," the voice didn't take her attention away from her cat as it continued, "how'd we get here? Didn't we beat those brats up somewhere else?"

She didn't acknowledge the two idiots standing awkwardly behind her until she was finished with the wounded. Rin then stood to her feet again, cradling the patched up feline in her arms. She turned and glared at the boys.

"_They_ defeated _us_," she corrected the one that had spoken, Takeshi. Her green eyes narrowed on the muscle head, "Next time I see that demon of a girl... I _will_ kill her... and that beast of hers."

"_That'ssss just what I want to hear, my dear,_" the hiss echoed around them.

"_Lord Orochimaru,_" she whispered under her breath. Her ears pricked at his familiar voice before she turned to bow in the direction she knew he was in. With the sound of rustling clothing, she knew that the two boys were coming over to her side.

The pale man stepped away from the shadows with a smile on his face, "You've always been a feisty one, Rin. Loyal, but feisty. I've always admired that about you, and that's why I took you in. I've seen your old clan mate. She seems like quite the imbecile, so I don't understand how you were defeated by such a fool."

Green eyes met golden as she gazed at the Sannin of snakes, "She is a demon, my lord. She has always been an outcast to the others, with the exception of her foolish parents. Their ignorance cost them their lives, but I was smart enough to not be fooled by her innocent looks. Ikari was a betrayal to the clan, and that meant that her host was a betrayal also." She smiled was cold as she petted her damp feline, "Before the massacre of my clan, I heard rumors about the girl holding another demon within her."

"There is?" Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow at her in annoyance as he frowned, "Why haven't I heard of this before?"

"Ever since that girl stole the name of my clan," she told him, "I parted myself away from the past other than my hatred for _Oni_."

The snake-like eyes narrowed on her, "Tell me what I must know of the girl."

"There's nothing really to know," she shrugged with one shoulder but winced slightly.

It was probably fractured.

Her body's numbness from the cold water was starting to fade, bringing in the pain of the fight into reality. Her entire back was sore, and she knew that Kira was suffering from the after affects of the clan's jutsu. She, too, would be suffering soon.

She handed Kira over to Kyoshi in case she caught a dizzy spell.

"Are you _testing_ me, girl?" His voice went into a low hiss.

"Rin," Kyoshi muttered, "I-I don't think it's a good idea to be d-doing that!"

"Look," she ignored the boy, glaring at the man she looked up to, "I've been loyal, like you said, so I'm demanding that you start giving me more power. I want the curse mark. It'll give me power to kill the girl."

"You know that there's a small percentage that your body will react positively to the effects of the curse mark," another stepped from the shadows, adjusting his glasses with his middle finger as he looked at Rin. "Not that I'm going to complain. All of you Nekoshima so far irritate me."

Rin growled, lunging at him only to be caught by Takeshi, "That demon is _not_ a Nekoshima, nor will she _ever_ be!"

"Calm down, Rin!" Takeshi growled in his struggle to keep her back.

Orochimaru chuckled, catching all of their attention.

"What's so funny?" Rin glared.

"You are, my dear."

That just earned him a growl from the girl.

He frowned once more, "I'm going to ask you again. What do I need to know about the girl?"

"She has something that _Lady Hisaye_ called _Sasayaku_," she crossed her arms after being released.

Black eyebrows raised against the pale face in surprise, "_Whisper_?"

She nodded, digging her nails into her biceps, "From generation to generation, there's been a legend that as a child, Ikari had a spirit whisper in her ear that she should kill off both Inuzuka and Nekoshima. As she grew into the head of the clan, she was a woman of power. A lioness, more or less. She ignored it for years, though, teaching the clan what her father taught her about the Inuzuka. The clan of mongrels treated us badly, so we believed in her."

"Hm..." Kabuto tapped his chin thoughtfully, but he remained silent.

Rin continued after sneaking a glance at him, "After the war between Nekoshima and Inuzuka, something snapped in Ikari. When she returned to the compound after her scolding from the Hokage, she told us that she made an agreement with the Inuzuka for the clans to stop their fights for the time being. The clan roared that she was a traitor of the clan and attacked. She was killed. The treaty was over."

"Lady Hisaye had already been born when Ikari was assassinated, but she was still too young to become a head. Daichi, her husband, took her place and kept the peace with Nekoshima, but he hated the clan for what happened." She ran a hand through her coppery hair, loving that it was short enough to not have knots. "_Sasayaku_ ended up speaking to Lady Hisaye, but she, too, ignored its wishes. When she became head of the clan, she claimed that keeping quiet as a way to stay on the good side of the Hokage so that we could secretly plan against the dogs. It wasn't until Hitaro took over while Lady Hisaye was on her deathbed that she spoke of the _Sasayaku_. I only knew because it was one of my ..." Rin thought about the word for a second before smiling cruelly at the memory, "_play dates_ with the _Oni_, and I sneaked around the house. The man wanted to make_ true_ _peace_ with that beast of a clan."

"This Hitaro refused listen to this _Sasayaku_ also?" Orochimaru seemed utterly interested in the topic now.

She nodded, "Hitaro actually awakened it at one point. His eyes turned silver, and his instincts turned into that of a wildcat. The _Sasayaku_ gave him power to nearly kill my father twice as a warning to stay away from _Oni_. Once Hitaro died, the spirit lingered until _she_ called for the power herself to kill the rest of the clan."

A mewl caught their attention, but Rin spoke Kira's words, "Kira was just a kitten at the time, but she saw the bloodbath. She told me that when _Oni_ had woken up from her trance, she didn't know what happened other than that there was a bloodied kunai in her hand and bodies around her. She didn't kill her uncle, though. That is why I call her an _Oni_, or demon."

Rin watched as a slow smile crawled into place on Orochimaru's lips, "Interesting..."

"That is also why I came to you, my lord," she bowed to the waist in respect. "I wanted to become strong enough to avenge my clan for the wrongdoings done to them and finish what they started for the massacre of the Inuzuka clan of the Leaf."

As she straightened, she noticed the look shared between Orochimaru and Kabuto. It was like the were silently agreeing on something. A hand clamped down on her shoulder, startling her for a second before she realized it was just Takeshi. She brushed off his hand like it were nothing more than a fallen leaf.

_It's best to focus on that demon of the feline._ She told herself._ I'm the only one that can become the clan head once she's gone. That idiot Hikaru probably still thinks that she's a good girl that had an accident that night. I know the truth. She murdered them all. Murdered all of them without a second thought. I promise to slay her for what she's done. I promise you that, Dad_.

"_Rin,_" the familiar hiss scattered her thought away. She looked up at him, seeing the gleam in his golden eyes, "I'll be returning to the preliminaries. You and your friends run along and repair yourselves." His smile turned wicked as he licked his lips with his long tongue, "We've got a big day coming up during the day of the finals."

"Yes, sir," she told him.

He paused just before entering the darkness of the forest, "Oh, and we may be having an Uchiha visit us one day very soon. I hope you look forward to meeting him again. I've heard a rumor that he had a close bond with your little demon."

With that, he left.

She turned her hazel eyes on the two behind her, glancing over each to see the small wounds. There was a small wince from Kyoshi as he shifted Kira's weight in his arms. Rin saw that there was swelling on his left wrist and it didn't look completely normal. Takeshi had scrapes and bruises all over his body. There was a black eye forming from bluish-purple hues on his right eye. She figured that she, too, probably looked pretty bad.

That Hyuuga girl had made some good hits with her own wrists and on her sides, too. Her calf was stinging from the dog bite of that white chihuahua mutt. Then there was the battle with that demon girl shortly after. She was so close. Victory had been on just the tip of her tongue. She would've had her revenge had that Inuzuka not have interrupted!

Her bright eyes widened.

_Inuzuka._

A slow smile crawled onto her face as she took Kira from Kyoshi, walking in the direction she knew was the location of a small tear in the gated area. She had a plan for the next time she found that demon. The boys noticed the gears turning in her head, so they stayed a few steps back from her quick pace. Kira just purred in her arms, knowing that she'd hear the plan soon.

Rin was going to get her.

And her little _dogs_, too.


	35. Roar of the Pinkette and Blonde

After a few shared words and the proctor telling them to begin, the two kunoichi fought with fierce intentions between them. They evened each other out every strike they sent against the other. Every once in awhile one would land a punch or kick on the other, but then the other would attack the first. It felt like the battle would go on endlessly.

"What a fool," I heard Shikamaru say.

I looked over to find him and Naruto looking at each other just as Naruto shouted, "What did you say to me?!"

"You want to make something of it, then go ahead," Shikamaru replied with a glare, "'cause you'll lose."

"Who do you think you are?"

"Boys," I called over to them, having their glares land on me. "Knock it off."

Shikamaru let out a ragged sigh before going back to watching his teammate's battle. Naruto huffed, but he said nothing more. He knew better than to test me. I smiled to him, only to receive one from him after a moment of pouting.

"That's it?" Another voice spoke, but I knew it was Neji's. "That's as good as kunoichi can get at hand-to-hand combat?"

I narrowed my eyes on the Hyūga boy, but he didn't seem to notice at all.

That ticked me off a little.

TenTen immediately came to a female defense against her teammate, "It's not because they're _girls_, you know, Neji. It's just those two are using kid-gloves. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman in battle."

I was nodding my silent agreement when something, more like someone, tugged on my hoody sleeve. I moved my gaze to the person to find my best friend, Hinata, fidgeting her fingers.

I smiled to her, "Yes, Hina?"

"Who do you think you might get set up against in this, Miyu-chan?" She had her head tilted in questioning, but she seemed a little worried in the end.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I would have loved to get set up against that pinkette, but that's out of the question. I don't want to go against any of the foreigners, but I don't want to go against the Rookies either. I'll got all bat crazy on the proctor if I get set up against you, girly."

"I don't want to fight you either, Miyu-chan." I noticed her eyes went to Neji when she muttered, "I just don't want to get set up against _him_ either..."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders as an attempt to comfort the shy girl, "I know, Hina. I don't want you to put against him either. I have a feeling that it would be taking all of the boys to hold me back if he even _poked_ you."

Hinata giggled, "I can see that happening."

I purposefully widened my eyes, "Oh, my goodness. Was that a _smile_? Was that one of the pretty pretty Hinata Hyūga smiles?"

Her face broke out into a bigger smile as she laughed at me. The girl worried more than I did about the little things, so it was rare for her to have a real smile instead of one of her nervous ones. I loved making her burst into giggles, it made her real beauty show.

Silence fell between us as we look back to the fight, but it wasn't an awkward one. Ino and Sakura were still evenly matched against each other until the blond was able to send a fist to the pinkette's gut. It was an opening when Sakura became stunned from the impact. Ino was just about to take the opening with her fist when something happened must have gone screwy in her head.

She _slapped_ the pinkette instead.

I jerked my head back at the scene.

Ino would have been able to send a clear fist to Sakura face to knock her flat on her butt. Her fist was reeled back for the blow, but she ended up _slapping_ Sakura instead. What had _just_ happened?

The two girls just looked at each other for a moment before Ino stared at her hand, probably in disbelief.

"Remember, Miyu," Yoshimaru came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder, "those two use to be friends when we were younger."

_That's right,_ I thought._ They broke apart after they realized they both liked Sasuke. Sakura told Ino that they were no longer friends and that they could only be rivals from then on._ I stared at the blond for a long moment._ I wonder how that could have felt on her. Having someone become so close to you then to have them throw it away like it was nothing. Poor Ino._..

"All right," Sakura's hands clenched to fists at her sides. "Listen up, Ino. I'm not going to fight with you over Sasuke."

I blinked back, doing a double-take on the scene. _Well, that's a new one_.

"What did you say?!" Ino snapped at her.

"I'm not the weak, needy girl I use to be," Sakura told her, making me cough quietly. "You're not even on my radar, and you're not even Sasuke's type, _Ino_. _Pig!_"

"Sakura, you better watch your step," Ino glared at her. "Do you have _any_ idea who you're mouthing off to?! _Dugh!_ Don't press your luck with me, little billboard brow!"

"Ah, I see what she's doing," Satoshi nodded as he watched the two.

I looked to my teammate, "Mind explaining a little? I'm kind of lost. They normally can't _stop_ fighting over Sasuke. I mean, technically, they are now."

"Sakura's egging Ino on," he told me. "She's trying to push all her buttons so that Ino would take the fight seriously. You saw how Ino slapped her. It was like a distraction, but it was also a bit of an insult to Sakura."

"Ohhh, I get it now," I turned my attention back to the girls. "So, stuff's gonna' go down once the pinkette finds the right button to press."

"Exactly."

"So," Sakura's voice caught my ears, "I'm a bud that hasn't flowered yet."

It wasn't a question, but the pinkette sure sounded mad about it. I didn't really understand the point of the conversation, but I figured that Ino probably did. The blond knew everything that was to know about flowers, even the metaphorical statements about them.

I watched as the pinkette took the forehead protector from the top of her head. It seemed like a telepathic signal between them that only they knew.

I heard Naruto say something about the two getting worked up just by the deadly looks they were giving each other. Kakashi replied with something about rivalry being tricky.

_Rivalry._

I glanced over at the Inuzuka boy, the one who had been my rival all my life. The funny thing about having a rival is that you always want to prove your worth to them no matter what it took. You'd put your heart and soul into trying to make them realize that you're better than what they say you are.

Having felt my eyes on him, Kiba turned towards me.

I quickly looked away.

It still hurt.

I had grown to have a bit of a crush on the one I was suppose to hate, but it was probably nothing more than a crush. It was like what Neji use to tell me when I would wait with him for Hinata, "_The reason it is even called a crush is because you always get hurt in the end._"

_Go figure,_ I thought. _Neji was being right about something. Again. I hate it when he's right. He starts gloating about it whenever he gets the chance to._ _The jerk. He will never be allowed to know about this, or I'll never hear the end of it. Same goes with Naruto. He'll end up shouting from the rooftops with how loud his voice gets when he's surprised, or excited, or angry, or... Anything. He's just loud.  
_

"I understand," Ino's voice spoke, bringing my attention back to the fight to find her putting her own forehead protector in its proper place, "Sakura."

I couldn't stop the grin that broke across my face, "Oh, _snap_. It's about to be a girl fight, real talk now. Girlies are getting serious now."

Yoshimaru and Satoshi just looked at me with expressions that told me they were thinking, "_Really?_"

I watched excitedly as the two kunoichi ran towards each other with their fists ready to strike. They met at the same time, fist against fist, that set both of them back a little.

The pinkette then ran towards the blond, forming a clone jutsu. There was a Sakura clone on each side of the original, which made me groan with annoyance and made my teammate laugh at me. Ino seemed frozen in a defensive stance, staring at the three pinkettes that were closing in on her.

The pinkettes held a hand-sign and suddenly gained a burst of speed. Just a foot away from the blond, the two clones turned to smoke, and the original Sakura sent a punch straight to Ino's jaw.

I grimaced when I saw the blond's head hit the green tile and her body rolled a few feet away.

"I'm not some crybaby anymore," Sakura shouted at Ino, which made me roll my eyes. "You play with fire, and you're gonna' get burned! Let's see your best, _Ino_."

Ino sat up, wiping blood or spit from the corner of her mouth, "It's not like I needed your invitation, you know. I'll give you my best, but you're not gonna' like it!"

"Can't believe I'm saying this," I told my teammates and Hinata, "but the pinkette was smart for sending her chakra to her feet for that boost. I just hope that Ino can even out the playing field again."

"Okay," Yoshimaru quirked a red eyebrow, "_why_ do you hate Sakura so much?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. She annoys me with how obsessed she is about Sasuke, and she's not even smart enough to realize what's going on around her. She was the one to break a good friendship over a stupid boy that has no real interest in either one of them. That rubs me the wrong way."

"So," a sly smile graced the redhead's lips, "if Kiba declared his undying love for you on the condition that you'd have to never speak to Hinata again, you wouldn't take the chance?"

I linked my arms with the girl's, "No, I wouldn't. Hinata and I have been friends way before the dog boy even started calling me_ litter box_. This girl right here is someone I'd _die_ for, and I'm not going to throw her away because of some idiot."

The two boys smiled at me, knowing that they pushed the right button on me. They knew that I would never abandon a friend for my own selfishness. It was basically a law in my mentality. That was why it irritated me so much when I found Ino at my door, crying about how Sakura told her that they were no longer friends. She had come to me because she had no other real kunoichi that she could talk to, and we became buddies for awhile. It was never as close as Hinata and I, though. There was nothing that could possibly break our friendship.

"Hey, they evened out again," I heard Satoshi say.

I looked back to the girls to find right fists caught in both girls' left hands. It looked like some kind of reversed tug-of-war before the jumped away from each other. I was just able to see the shuriken get thrown from both sides before the _clang_ of metal that shortly followed.

I returned to my usual position of leaning my forearms against the red railing and putting my weight on that. The girls were still evening each other out with every attack. It was really going to take away before one gets knocked out or they both fall from exhaustion.

* * *

I was just starting to doze off when Satoshi shook me awake, "Miyu, wake _up_, woman. Do you really want to miss out on who might win this match?"

"It feels like hours have passed," I groaned, noticing that Hinata had wandered back over to her own team. "I don't think either one will win at this point. Exhaustion is going to overrule them soon enough."

"Just watch, will you?"

"_Fine,_" I stuck my tongue out at him.

I looked over to the two girls who were still fighting. I watched as they reeled back their arms once more, getting ready to send off a punch.

I, along with everyone else most likely, was shocked when they both landed a hit on the others cheek. They flew a good few feet away from each other from the impact, but they both got back up again.

"You got my hopes up, Satoshi," I glared at my teammate, "and ruined a catnap."

He snorted in reply.

"This isn't how this was suppose to go!" Ino shouted at the pinkette. "How can you be evenly matched with me?!"

"Heh," Sakura smirked. "I guess you're right, Ino. You're obsession with your looks and your hair can't be surpassed._ I've_ been training to hard to worry about that stuff."

I mimicked Satoshi's snort at that statement.

Misaki looked at me in question.

"What?" I asked innocently. "I'm not allowed to snort at her lies? It was just recently that the girl got her hair cut. She normally fussed over it as much as Ino does. I had a lot of fun tossing bits of dirt in her hair at the academy and watching her freak out."

My teacher rolled her eyes, trying to hide the amused smile on her lips, but I knew it was there.

"You're gonna' pay for that," Ino growled, pulling out a kunai knife. "I've had enough of you making fun of me."

I leaned over the rail a little to get a better look, but Yoshimaru grabbed a hold of my hoody in case I fell, "She's _not_ going to do what I think she is, is she?"

I watched as the blond reached up, grabbed her ponytail, and slicing through the silky hair with the sharp knife. Everyone from the Leaf had shocked expressions compared to the unreadable ones from the foreigners.

I slammed my hands against the railing, "_She did!_"

"Kami, will you _settle down_, Miyu?" Satoshi asked with an exasperated tone.

I smirked at my teammate, "_Never_, my friend."

He sighed, shaking his head.

"Heh," Sakura smirked again. "You think that will help?"

"That's it!" Ino screamed, gripping tightly to the bundle of hair in her hand. She threw it at the pinkette, and it covered the space between them in blond strands. "_See?_ I don't need this!"

"_Oooo,_" I grinned, "this is getting _good_!"

"Only you would be excited when everyone else is afraid, Miyu," Yoshimaru sighed, still holding onto my hoody since I was leaning even more over the railing than before.

"All right," the now short-haired blond formed a hand-sign. "I'll put an end to this now! Get ready to tell everyone that you lost to _me, billboard brow_!"

Ino's hands shot out towards Sakura, forming an odd-looking hand-sign.

I looked over to Misaki, "Sensei, isn't that the Yamanaka clan's famous _Mind Transfer Jutsu_?"

"Very good," Misaki nodded her approval, looking like she wanted to stick a gold star on my forehead. "It is, and it's very risky for Ino to use. It could cost her the match."

"I still say they both lose," I exhaled deeply from my nose.

"Look, I know you're frustrated," Sakura spoke up again, "but that's pointless."

"Oh, yeah?" Ino asked, but she wasn't looking for an answer. "We'll just see about that."

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu," Sakura said the name of the jutsu. "It's a jutsu that allows the user to take over their opponent's spirit and whisk control of their body away from them for a few minutes by charging all of their own spiritual energy and _striking_ their enemy with it. But despite its power, there are major flaws to this formidable jutsu that makes it extremely dangerous. First, the user's discharged spiritual energy can only fly straight and it moves at a _very_ slow speed. Second, even if the spiritual energy _misses_ the enemy, it can't return to the user's own body for several minutes, and this, in battles that are most often measured in seconds."

I covered my hands with my sleeves to muffle my clapping.

_Great speech. We got a grand lesson from Miss Spotlight over there, who's teaching Ino Yamanaka the Yamanaka clan's jutsu's flaws. Way to go, brainiac._

"I should add," Sakura continued.

_Please don't,_ Ikari's tired tone entered my mind._ It'll be the only thing that shuts Miyu up if she doesn't continue._

I mentally glared at the woman in my head.

_Don't you give me that look,_ she scolded. _You're not the one trying to sleep with the words echoing around your head._

Her plea went against Kami's deaf ears as the pinkette went on, "That while the spiritual energy is gone, the user body, _your_ body, Ino, can't move at all. It'll be little more than a doll."

"So what?!" Ino shouted, "I don't care! I won't know unless I try!"

_There's got to be something more to that jutsu, though,_ I sent my thoughts to Ikari._ Ino knows its flaws, obviously, but she's going to risk it away. Why would she do that?_

_Unless she had a plan to follow it,_ she yawned,_ or ensures its success_.

"If you miss," Sakura leaned to the right, ready to run with that cocky smile hooked to her lips, "it's all over. You_ do_ know that... right?"

The pinkette ran, and, despite the pleas of her teammates, Ino shouted, "_Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!_"

Sakura froze.

Their bodies looked like puppets that were simply being held up. Their heads were down and arms limply at their sides. For all I knew, that Kankuro guy could have been holding them up with his puppetry jutsu without anyone realizing it.

After a moment, Ino's body fell to her knees.

I was leaning over the railing again to try getting a better look. Yoshimaru's hand was securely on my hoody. He was a good friend like that since Satoshi would have let me fall as an attempt to teach me a lesson.

Ha, like I'd actually learn from it.

Sakura started laughing, her shoulders shaking for it, "What an unfortunate choice..." The pinkette's head raised enough to see her green eyes in the lighting as she stared at the fallen blond, "_Ino_."

"There _has_ to be something more to it than that," I insisted, not realizing that I had said the words aloud.

"Ino lost, Miyu," Yoshimaru said. "Your hopes of Sakura losing failed."

I looked over my shoulder to the redhead, "Ino may be a blond, but she's not that much of an idiot."

My attention turned back to the battlefield just as Sakura said, "You're done,_ Ino_."

I watched as she went to move, but the pinkette jerked back. Her face took on an expression of shock, which made my crazy grinning return.

Sakura's gaze went straight to Ino, "No way!"

"You fell for it, Sakura," I could hear the smirk in the blond's voice as she looked up. "Ha, I finally caught you."

"It can't be," the pinkette's green eyes were wide with disbelief.

Ino gave a short chuckle before she spoke, "I'm afraid it can. All those hand-signs earlier were just an act to _fool_ you, to trick you into the trap I laid out for you, and it _worked_. Now you can't move at all, can you? You're being held by a special rope that's made from my hair and my chakra poured into it."

Sakura tried to move again, but it failed.

Ino placed a firm foot on her end of the hair-rope, "Now you're trapped. I can take over your body and make you say that you're giving up on this match." Ino formed the hand-sign once again. "There's _no_ way I'll ever miss with this jutsu now."

"I knew it," I also knew that I was grinning like a psychopath, but my teammates were use to that by now. It really shouldn't have been a surprise to them. "I _knew_ there had to be something more to it!"

_Bravo, bravo._ I could hear Ikari clapping. _You're a natural brainiac, Miyu. Now zip your damn lip._

_You wish,_ I smirked.

She sighed, _I really do_.


	36. Temari's Glitch

"_Mind Transfer Jutsu!_"

Kiba watched, amazed at how the blond had been able to trick Sakura into a well-set trap. Her body fell once more as the jutsu took place. Kiba could _smell_ Ino on Sakura before the girl started laughed, even from the distance he was at.

"That's _really_ unfortunate."

"Ino missed..." he heard Choji say.

"No, wait..." Shikamaru said, starting at the pink kunoichi.

He heard the others mutter their comments about the match. There was one in particular that he had overheard, though. One that had caught his interest.

"Stupid pinkette," he heard Miyu say. "She needs to learn not to be so cocky. If she's suppose to be the smartest on the team, then I worry deeply for Naruto's and Sasuke's sake."

_So she knows, too,_ he thought. _What am I saying? Of course she does. Her nose is as good as mine sometimes._

"Guess Ino's got this in the bag then," one of her teammates said.

He couldn't help but glance at the girl.

"Yeah," Satoshi was nodding. "You should've stayed with your first guess, Miyu."

"I'm staying with my instinct," she replied, not bothering to take her eyes off the match. Her cat was sitting on her back since she was leaning against the railing of the balcony. He could tell that she was deeply focused on the match. "They're both going to go down."

"Yeah, well, I'm going with Ino wins, kit-kat," Yoshimaru folded his arms behind his head, leaning against the wall. "You'll both owe me food by the end of this."

"We'll see, Yoshimaru," the darker male smirked.

Kiba felt eyes on him and let his gaze fall on the girl again, locking eye contact with her icy eyes. They seemed a little pained, but she looked away before he could fall into them. Those eyes of hers have been making him freeze more often lately.

_What am I doing?_ he questioned. _I'm hurting her more than protecting her now. I don't want to deal with Mom's reaction if I came home telling her, "Hey, guess what? I kissed that Nekoshima girl that you always hated, and I think I just might like her!" I'd be dead for sure. Hana might be a little more forgiving, but there's no way I'd survive Mom's reaction.  
_

"Not quite," he heard Sakura's voice, but he knew it was Ino talking.

"I don't get it," he heard Naruto say. "What's with Ino? And with Sakura? I mean, Sakura's acting really strange, don't you think? This is her _chance_!"

_You idiot,_ Kiba mentally groaned, smacking his face with his palm. _You don't understand that Ino got Sakura with that jutsu of hers! Ino's going to win._

"Do it already, Sakura!" Naruto cheered for his teammate, completely oblivious. "Attack!"

"The_ Mind Transfer Jutsu_ worked..." Kakakshi told Naruto and the guy in the green jumpsuit. "Sakura's done for."

He ignored the rest of the conversation to turn his attention back to the match. Sakura (Ino) was smiling victoriously, and Kiba knew exactly why. Ino easily won the match. There was no way that Sakura could win now, or for them both to lose.

He watched as Sakura's hand slowly rose to the air to announce her forfeit, "Now I, Sakura Haruno, would like to say... that I withdr-"

"_Noo!_"

The shout spooked her, and Kiba himself.

"Sakura, don't!" Naruto shouted.

"Man, that kid's just so annoying!" Sakura's voice said, and he heard Miyu laugh at the comment.

"That's one reason why I like Naruto sometimes," he heard the girl say to her teammates.

"You worked so hard to get here, Sakura!" Naruto was still shouting, cupping his hands around his mouth to make himself, if even possible, louder. "Don't disgrace yourself now by losing to that_ lame_ Ino girl!"

"Yell all you want," Sakura (Ino) said, "there's nothing you can do now."

All of a sudden, Sakura's body jerked.

"_What?_" she asked to no one in particular. She seemed like she was in pain now as her hand went to her head. It made Kiba think back to when he first saw... _whatever_ had taken over Miyu's body during their spar. She screamed, "What's _happening?!_"

_She fighting back now,_ he thought. _Sakura's fighting Ino's soul to gain control of her body again_.

Kiba watched as Sakura's body bent over a bit, "Sakura... This_ can't_ be happening!"

"What's wrong? Are you withdrawing?" the proctor asked her, seeing that there was something obviously going on with the girl. "Well, are you or not?"

Sakura screamed in frustration before she shouted, "No, I _won't_ be withdrawing! Not today, or any other day!"

"_Ha,_" he heard Miyu say. He dared to glance at her from the corner of his eyes to see her smirking, "Pinky's an idiot, but her mentality is strong enough to fight even if her body's weak."

He looked back to the match to see the kunoichi making a hand-sign before Ino's scent left Sakura and returned to her original body. Both girls were on their knees now, panting from exhaustion.

"How can you have two spirits in you?" Ino asked. "Just what _are_ you anyway?"

Sakura caught her breath before she smiled and responded, "Someone who's just as strong as she is beautiful. I mean, a girl's gotta' be tough if she's gonna' survive something like_ this_."

The girls got to their feet, slowly but surely due to their unsteadiness from their fight.

After a moment to catch their breaths, they pushed off the ground and ran towards each other. They had their dominant fists pulled back, ready for one more blow that could end the match.

Fists contacted with both faces, sending the girls flying back. Blood splattered the flooring, but it wasn't enough to make a big deal out of. The forehead protectors had fallen off of both their foreheads, clattering to the floor.

The girls landed on their backs a good few feet away from each other.

They tried to sit up, but they only ended up falling into an unconsciousness.

They were no longer able to continue the fight.

They both lost.

Miyu was right.

Again.

"Since neither combatant is able to continue," the proctor announced, "by double knock-out, no one get through the fourth battle of this preliminary. This match is over."

Everyone from the Leaf fell into shock, muttering their comments of "No way!" and "Hows" towards the girls' match. Asuma and Kakashi jumped down from the balcony to pick up their fallen kunoichi.

Once they got back up, the girls' teammates, the guy in green substituting for a missing Sasuke, ran over to them. Miyu also walked over to the girls with her teammates tailing behind her and her cat on her shoulder. She said something, but he couldn't quite catch the words.

He noticed that she ruffled Sakura's hair and patted Ino's head with a smile before returning to her sensei. The two guys nodded to the girls' teachers, saying something that made Asuma smile before following after Miyu.

* * *

The screen beeped with the names of the next battlers.

**TEN TEN**

**VS.**

**TEMARI**

I grinned when I saw the familiar kunoichi's name

I watched as Tenten with her hair in Chinese-style buns on either side of her head with short fringe-bangs falling over her forehead protector walked to the battlefield. She wore a pink sleeveless blouse and dark green pants. It was a very Chinese-cultured outfit.

Another girl, who happened to be the fan girl I sat near during the written exam, stepped to the opposite side of the first. She was a foreigner staring down with a native. Her outfit consisted of a single light purple-colored, off-the-shoulders garment that extended to halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet sash tied around her waist. In addition to incorporating fishnet worn over her shoulders and legs, specifically on her right calf and her left thigh, she also wore her black forehead protector around her neck signifying that she was in allegiance with the Sand Village. She had green eyes and blond hair, which was gathered into four ponytails.

I noticed the giant folding fan strapped to her back.

"Go, Tenten!" Lee cheered for his teammate. "_Alright!_"

"C'mon, Tenten!" Satoshi also joined the cheering, causing me to grin at his enthusiasm since he was normally a quiet guy. "Show her what you're made of! That target practice better not have been for nothing!"

"For the fifth match." Gekkō turned his head to each female as he said their names, "Tenten, Temari. Get ready."

The two females took a step closer to each other so they were in front of the proctor, steady gazes watching each other.

"Begin."

"Let's go, Tenten!" I shouted, pumping my fist into the air as the brunette jumped away from her opponent. "Show Neji what a_ real_ kunoichi's power is!"

I was grinning at the cheers she was receiving from her green teammate and sensei. It was like how Naruto was cheering for the pinkette, but more lively even. I didn't think anyone would have been able to beat that knucklehead in any kind of shouting contest. They proved me wrong, though. What amused me even more, though, was that Satoshi was cheering for her also.

"You seem lively now, Sato," I looked over to my cheering teammate.

He stopped and looked at me with storm cloud eyes, "You know, if you had to be that girl's target in practice, then you'd probably want her to win this, too."

"Aww," I couldn't help the shaking in my voice from trying to contain my giggles. "Did someone almost get neutered?"

A scowl set itself deeply on his face, "Stupid girls and their torture."

"Hey," I puffed my cheeks at him, "you know that _you're_ on a team with a _girl,_ right?_ Three_, in fact!"

His scowl shifted to a sheepish smile, "Yeah... You know that you're a _very_ pretty kitty, right, Miyu, Chi? Stunning!"

I smirked, "Nice try, Sato."

Yoshimaru laughed, "You dug your own grave, man."

"Shut up, man!" Satoshi glared at the brighter teammate.

I laughed at them before turning back to the match. The two girls were in the same spots after Tenten had jumped away from Temari. The proctor must have questioned their movements since they weren't making any. His mouth moved, but I couldn't hear his quiet voice. Not like he was talking to the crowd, anyway. So, I figured it didn't matter too much.

I was able to hear Temari give a dry laugh and say, "Guess she's waiting for me to make a move. Big mistake... 'cause the first move I make will be the last one you see."

Temari took a step forward, intimidating Tenten enough for her to step back. The brunette knew that she had to keep her distance from the enemy until she understood what technique style she used. It was a smart move.

_But she's not analyzing correctly,_ I thought quietly. My eyes wandered away from Tenten to her opponent. _That one has a fan for a weapon. Fans are used for blowing things away, or bringing wind to you. It's obvious that this makes her a wind-style specialist. Her main strength is going to be keeping Tenten away from her, so she's putting herself in a disadvantage now. Especially since Tenten's main strength is weaponry, like Satoshi said... This can end badly._

"C'mon," the blond taunted. "I don't want this match to be over too quickly. So, why don't _you_ go first?" Temari lifted her hand to her chest, pointing her thumb to her as a gesture, "C'mon, _girl_. Show me what'cha got."

"Okay, if you insist," Tenten smirked. Right before she leaped into the air, she warned Temari, "Remember, you asked for it!"

The brunette threw at least four shuriken at the blond. I let my gaze fall on her to see her figure shift in a second before returning right back to the same pose. It was like her body glitched or something, like how the computer or television spazzes for a second before going back to normal. It was kind of freaky.

The weapons fell to the ground around the Sand kunoichi with four metallic _clangs_.

"I missed her?!" Tenten exclaimed with wide eyes. "There's just no way!"

"What was that? A warm-up exercise?" Temari teased. "Or maybe you're a little nervous, and it's effected your aim? Is that it?"

"How could that have happened?" Satoshi questioned aloud. "Tenten has the most accurate aim anyone in the Leaf could even dare to compete with."

"Temari glitched," I answered.

"Glitched?" my teammates looked at me with confused and worrisome gazes.

"Her body glitched, like a computer," I told them simply. "She did something to block the attack."

"Sharp eyes as always, Miyu," Misaki praised.

I smiled to her, "Well, I _am_ part of the Nekoshima clan. It's our specialty. We're best for tracking and spying, similar to the Inuzuka."

"So," Satoshi pinched his chin between his thumb and index finger from his good arm in a thinking gesture, "you're saying that Temari... glitched, and she was able to deflect Tenten's shuriken from it?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," I narrowed my eyes on my teammate in irritation.

"How is that even possible?" Yoshimaru's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Ugh," I smacked my palm to my forehead to restrain myself from smacking them. "Just watch the rest of the match. Things might turn sour for Miss Panda over there."

"What is going on?!" Lee questioned rather loudly. "How could she have missed? It is incredible!"

"It's _impossible,_" Guy replied to his astonished student. "Tenten's aim is _perfect. _She always hits her mark."

"Not this time she didn't," Neji interrupted.

"She never misses," I could smell the nervous sweat off the green sensei. "There must have been something... that made her miss."

"Huh?!"

Apparently, I was the only one that saw her glitch, minus Misaki. None of the others seemed to have noticed it since they were questioning what had happened. My eyes wondered over to the foreigners to find a few of them surprised with the exception of Temari's teammates from the Sand. They were talking, but I couldn't make out the words.

"'You know, you can always count on Temari to put on a good show,' is what that puppet guy is saying." I flinched, looking to my right to see Yoshimaru, but he wasn't looking at me. He was watching the two Sand boys. Sometimes, I loved his perfected ability to read lips. "The redhead replied with, 'Not a big deal.'"

I felt myself sigh, "At least they're not saying anything about Tenten. That's good... But I don't like how that gourd kid is acting. He's reminding me a bit too much of Neji." I looked back to the fight between the girls, "I knew this was going to end badly for her."

"What do you mean?" Satoshi came to my other side, leaning his lower back against the railing. "Did you have a preminition or something?"

"Nothing like that," I waved at him. "It's one of those feelings I have. I just have a bad feeling about Tenten winning this. Temari's an interesting opponent with her glitching. Tenten's going to have trouble with her. I know it. Temari's going to win this."

"Well," Yoshimaru looked from me to Satoshi, "she was right about Ino and Sakura's match. Them both passing out from exhaustion and all."

"How did you know that, anyway?" my darker teammate's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I've known the girls, or at least Ino," I replied simply. "I know that they spend most of their time trying to impress Sasuke instead of focusing on their training. All that big talking coming from Sakura was nothing more than crap since she just recently got her chopped off. Those girls are evenly matched no matter what happened, you know why?"

They both looked at me in question.

"Because even though Sakura tried to break their bond, they're still close friends deep in their hearts," I told them. "Even if it's breaking out more in Ino, I know that Sakura still has those fond memories of her friendship with Ino."

"Bold words," Misaki's voice caught my ears, turning my attention to her. She was standing behind me with her arms crossed and a smile on her face, "So, it would be like if you and Hinata ever broke apart?"

I laughed lowly at her words, "No, it _wouldn't_."

"Why's that?" she raised an eyebrow at me.

I whipped around at her so quickly that she jerked back a little, my index finger less than an inch from her nose, "Because Hinata and I have a strong bond that can _never_ be broken. Not by some idiot of a boy, or for some test of endurance, or anything! Hinata is my best friend, and nothing in this world, or_ any_, can change that about us!"

"We feel so loved," I heard Yoshimaru and Satoshi say.

I chuckled, "I love you guys, too, but we're on the topic of Hinata, not you two."

"Pfffsh," was their stubborn reply.

"But," I looked back to the fight again, "this match is over. Temari's too powerful for Tenten."

"Let's watch and see how it goes," Misaki told me, her arms crossed as she leaned against the concrete wall.

Yoshimaru and Satoshi stayed in their positions on either side of me. Satoshi leaning his back against the rail and looking over his shoulder to watch the match. The brighter teammate mimicked my own, leaning his forearms against the metallic railing. I, getting tired of standing more than I have to, sat on the cold flooring of the balcony with my legs crossed in a pretzel-style with Chi stretching herself out on my lap.

Akamaru trotted over to us and sat down next to me. I stroked his smooth fur for awhile as I watched the unmoving girls. Tenten was analyzing her opponent now to where I could almost _see_ the gears turning in her bonbon head.

_Now what is this Temari going to do next?_ I questioned, watching the sandy blond go to grip her fan. _Is she waiting or attacking?_

Suddenly, the brunette ran in a curve to the left, heading towards her enemy.

_Wait, no._

My eyes widened a little as I saw her go _around_ Temari to the back and pass her. The blond didn't seem to care very much, but I saw her green-blue eyes follow Tenten the moment the brunette came into her vision. The smirk on the her lips stay the entire time.

"Alright," Tenten's hand went behind her back before she leaped into the air, "try this on for size!"

The brunette flipped upside down before unraveling a scroll. Her body twisted and flipped again until she was upright once more, spinning with the scroll's long paper spiraling around her like a protective cocoon. She started going faster...

And faster...

And faster until she was no longer seen. She had become a giant, yellow cocoon floating in the air.

Then weapons flew out.

* * *

**(A/N): Okay, so I know it's been _awhile_ since my last RBC chapter, but I've been busy and working on my other stories. I'm going to try working on it more so I can finish up this section. The fact that I'm having to continuously going through the Chunin Exams is probably boring me a little, so I want to get this finished so I can get to the real stuff c: **

**_Here's a picture of Miyu and Chi:_ art/Miyu-and-Chimamire-382740792**


	37. Shivers Sent From The Sand

With Yoshimaru's familiar hand keeping a hold on me, I returned to my nearly-falling-off-the-railing position as the weapons flew from Tenten's flying tornado. My eyes narrowed in on the foreigner so I could try to catch her movements. My knuckles were starting to turn white from gripping the red rail so much with irritation.

I saw her glitch again, but it was slower than before.

I felt my lips break into a wild grin when I saw her arm move. She had some _intense_ speed to her, but she was still growing slower since I was able to get a clear look at her movements this time.

I told my teammates about it as the weapons fell around the Sand kunoichi, giving it the look that Tenten had missed despite the mass amount of various weaponry.

"You're right," I heard Satoshi say. "This time I was able to see that glitch thing."

"Me, too," Yoshimaru agreed.

Tenten dropped gracefully to the green tiles on the ground with the long, unraveled scroll paper falling behind her. Temari was smirking, obviously, with her fan out. It was partially opened to reveal a purple circle on it.

"No way!" the brunette exclaimed in surprise. "She stopped everything I throw! What has she got in that fan of hers?"

Temari laughed before replying, "Take a look."

"It's not what she has _in_ the fan..." I stared at the strange circle, "It might have to she has _on_ it..."

"_What do you mean, Miyu-chan?_" Chi purred as she batted at Akamaru's wagging tail.

I pointed out, "Before she had the fan closed the entire time, but now it's open with that circle on it. Why would that be?"

"_Maybe just to have it open?_" the dog barked, his head cocked to the side in question. "_It probably means nothing, Miyu-san._"

"It doesn't have to mean anything," Satoshi echoed.

"That's what Akamaru said," I replied, narrowing my eyes on the blond.

"Bu—"

"_Shhh!_" I hissed at my teammate. "She's going to speak again."

"This is the first moon. There are two more," the foreigner explained, gesturing to the purple circle on her fan. Her expression darkened slightly, "When you see all three moons, you'll know... you'll have lost the match!"

"Tenten!" Lee called to his kunoichi teammate. "Do not play your opponent's game! Maintain focus! Maintain focus!"

I bit the inside of my cheek, feeling my chest tighten slightly from keeping in my laughter when Lee's voice squeaked a bit with the last sentence. My teammates took notice and shook their heads at me. It was obvious that they remembered when I had teased them for when they were going through their time of voice deepening. Oh, how I tortured them about it!

"Miyu, pay attention!" Satoshi scolded.

I pouted out my lip at him, which he just sighed at since he had become immune from receiving the look for so many years. Yoshimaru, on the other hand, though...

"Satoshi, be nicer to her," the redhead glared, patting my head.

I smiled innocently to him before smirking at my darker teammate. He just stared with his mouth agape at him being scolded for scolding me. I turned my attention away, looking back to the fight to find the Konoha native holding two scrolls in her left hand at the foreigner.

"She's..." Guy's voice caused my ears to perk up, "using that already?"

I was about to speak when Naruto voiced my question before I could, "What's with the two strolls? What is she planning on doing with them?"

The green teacher didn't reply, but a _tap, tap_ noise caught my attention. I looked over to the arena to find Tenten crouched to the ground in front of her opponent with the scrolls standing on one of their ends on either side of her.

The Sand kunoichi laughed again, her eyes narrowing slightly, "It won't work, whatever it is."

She sounded too cocky for my taste.

"Don't doubt Tenten," I heard Satoshi growl behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to find him glaring down at the foreigner. "That's the _last_ thing you want to do with a weaponry specialist like that."

After a moment of silence, the brunette's hands instantly went into a flurry of hand-signs. I could tell from her arm movements. She suddenly stopped, fingers peeking out from behind her shoulders, "_Rising Twin Dragons!_"

The entire arena exploded in a soft grey smoke.

"Miyu, can you see anything?" Yoshimaru asked.

I narrowed my eyes, searching for anything from a silhouette to movement of any kind from the competitors, "Noth..._ Holy—_!"

I pushed myself away from the railing, pressing myself as far back against Yoshimaru as I possibly could, when two wingless dragon-shaped figures shot out of the mass of grey before spinning into a spiral. The wind from the dragons' speeds blew the smoky skin off them to reveal the two scrolls that Tenten had on the ground just moments ago.

In the dead center of the spiraling scrolls, I could see our native competitor in her same position as before the smoke appeared. Then she was gone, her form shooting straight up in flickers that if I had blinked, I would have missed it.

With the _puff_ sounds of more smoke that normally meant a type of summoning above, I looked up to find that she had spun herself around with hundreds of weapons flying at the foreigner again. Small smoke puffs surrounded her, but those had soon disappeared as fast as they had appeared.

"_Whoa..._" I felt my eyes widen slightly as I watched the range of weapons that flew from Tenten's hands. A proud smile broke across my face from being able to have someone like her representing our village. "Killer kunoichi!"

"So," Satoshi spoke. I heard his clothing shift slightly, so I knew he was crossing his arms in a smug way, "do you admit defeat, Miyu?"

I glanced at him from over my, and Yoshimaru's, shoulder, noting that I had been correct at his predictable posture before I stepped away from the redhead and returned to the rail, "I'm normally the type to root for my own village, you know that. I still am, but I'm sticking with my instincts."

"Heh," Temari smirked. "Doesn't matter how many you throw at me. It's all the same."

She lifted her giant fan with one hand, bringing it over her opposite shoulder.

The weapons continued falling as gravity pulled them down.

"Moon number two!"

It was all I heard from Temari's voice before the sound of rushing wind clashed against metal.

Instantly arms were around my waist, pulling be back and whirling me around so I was facing the wall. I noticed that there was one kunai knife that had found its way out of the arena and had pierced into the wall. It would have easily have hit me if Yoshimaru hadn't pulled me out of the way.

"I'm not done!" Tenten shouted, but I didn't pay too much attention to it.

A relieved sigh escaped my lips as the arms loosened their tightness around me, "Thanks."

"Jeez, litter box," the voice caused me to stiffen tensely. "You just don't know how to step back, do you?"

_What?!_ My mind shouted at me as I finally caught the dog-like scent. _How could I have not caught it a second ago? Maybe it's this damn jacket. I lost my jean one in the forest somewhere, so I stole Yoshimaru's._

Wide-eyed and alert, I looked over my shoulder to find a pair of fangs in a smirk and sharp eyes with a light sparkle in them, "K-K..."

Instinctively, I pulled away from him and closer to my teammates.

There was a flash of hurt in his eyes at my reaction, but it was gone as soon as it came. He asked in an emotionless tone, "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," I replied quickly a little too quickly for my own taste, forcing my nerves to calm down. "Thank you."

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly in the typical smirk that always graced his lips, "Good. I don't want your uncle hounding at my door because_ you_ got hurt again."

I bristled at this, getting closer to his face with irritation clear on my features, "Hey! I didn't_ technically_ get hurt, dog breath!"

"You passed out in the middle of a spar, cat butt," he replied, still smirking that idiotic smirk.

"Oh, Kami," Yoshimaru's voice spoke out followed by a flesh-like _smack_ sound, which I knew he had face-palmed, "how did we get back to square one with these two?"

"It's a cat and a dog either way," Satoshi sighed. "Somehow, I think they enjoy arguing with each other more than anything."

"I hope that I don't have to get in the ring with you," Kiba told me.

It was my turn to smirk now, crossing my arms as I leaned back slightly, "Why? You scared, puppy dog?"

"_I think the funniest part of all of this,_" I heard Yoshimaru whisper, "_is that they're ignoring the flying weapons._"

I knew that Satoshi was rolling his eyes, it was too common of him not to, "_When it's Inuzuka versus Nekoshima, those to are only focused on each other._"

"No," he said, "I'd be able to cream you in two seconds flat."

My blood boiled at his remark, "Oh, I _hope_ I get to fight you, boy, just for that!"

_Why is he acting like this?_ my mind pondered as we bickered about which clan was better, soon going into which one had the higher instincts and senses._ Is there a reason that he decided to protect me from Tenten's weapons then to argue? Or could he possibly just have lost his mind? It's just like before, like nothing had happened.  
_

"Moon number three," the foreigner's voice rang in my ears, pulling me away from my current argument.

I walked away from Kiba, back over to the railing to find that Temari had disappeared from the arena, "Whoa, wait, _what_? Where'd she go?"

It was a moment after that I heard the_ foosh_ of air followed by her voice in a type of singsong tone, "Over_ here_."

My gaze followed the sound to find the blond flying on her fan towards the brunette. I blinked back in surprise as she glided over the native competitor, "Wow, that's a new one."

The fan was completely open now, though.

_That's not a good sign,_ I thought, biting my lip.

"_Miyu-chan,_" Chi sounded worried.

"I know," I replied, feeling the exact same way.

The odd thing, though, was that the foreigner jumped off her fan to the same spot she had been just moments ago. The fan fell to her, folding back up, as if it had a mind of its own. It was a bit strange.

"Now it's my turn," Temari spoke, a smirk on her lips. She pulled her right arm back against the opposite side of her body before she waved her fan at Tenten as she called, "_Wind Scythe Jutsu!_"

The brunette was sent back against the _visible_ spirals of wind being sent against her. It looked like she was trapped in a spiraling, white vortex in midair. Her screams were muted out by the windy sounds.

_This chick has some serious chakra,_ I thought, lifting an arm to block some of the wind that whipped around the room. It sent Tenten's scent all over the place. _She actually made the wind visible. Who is she? _My eyes shifted from the brunette and the blond to the other foreigners from the Sand._ That's scary with that redhead. We don't know what he can do, especially with what's inside that gourd of his..._ I let my gaze travel to the others._ We also don't know what the rest of these guys can do either. Dear, Kami, don't let Hinata or Yoshimaru go against any of them!_

Tenten fell.

I winced when I saw her land on the top of Temari's folded fan, her back bending backwards.

"Poor Tenten," I heard myself say. I could smell the blood off her easily and see a small trail leave the corner of her mouth.

"Wasn't much of a match," the foreigner said. "Kinda' boring."

I heard _growling_ behind me.

I turned around to see Satoshi stalking closer to the railing, looking like he was about ready to kill the blond for what she had done to the brunette. He was still wounded, covered in bandages like a mummy, but he was bound-determined. I could tell by his expression.

I put my hands on his chest and pushed him back, "Sato, you're wounded, you idiot! Don't do it!"

"She didn't have to be so ruthless on Tenten!" he snapped, furious.

Yoshimaru pulled him back by his shoulders, "Calm down, man. I get that you're mad, but you're about to dig your own grave if you go to fight now."

"The winner of the fifth match, Temari," Gekkō announced.

"Wait a second!" I heard Lee shout, turning my head to find him jumping into the arena.

Instantly, the foreigner threw Tenten off her fan. She didn't seem to care where the girl landed.

Lee was on the ground just in time, catching the unconscious Leaf kunoichi. The force of the toss was great enough to push the green jumpsuiter back a few steps even though both of his feet stayed on the green tiles. The weapons clanged as the were shifted from the sudden movement.

"Hey, nice catch," the blond told him.

I didn't like the dark look on her features. It seemed like she had _enjoyed_ torturing Tenten.

"What the hell was that?!" Satoshi roared as Lee lectured the Sand kunoichi, fighting against us more that he had just seconds ago. I pushed my back against him so I could watch what was going on still. I felt Yoshimaru's arms come out from under our teammate's own arms, the redhead's fingers locking behind the infuriated Satoshi's head. "How could she just treat someone like that?!"

"Satoshi," Misaki had a warning tone to her voice. It was never a good sign when she had that. "Calm yourself."

"But, sensei_—_!"

He was silenced by a pair of lavender eyes meeting his. He stopped struggling against us, his bangs covering his stormy eyes in embarrassment, shame, anger, or maybe even all of the above.

"Lee, no!" Neji's voice called out from next to our group.

"_Leaf Hurricane!_"

All of our heads snapped over to find Lee attacking the foreigner.

His leg made contact with the blond's fan.

I saw Temari's mouth moving, but I couldn't catch the words that were spoken.

Instantly, though, Guy appeared in the arena to stop his clone-like student.

"Temari," the emotionless voice sent chills down my spine, "forget them. The match is over, so get up here. You won, so why are you wasting your time with that pathetic loser and his ridiculous mentor."

I didn't like anything about the guy's appearance or tone. He wasn't anything like Neji, who I could easily snap at for being a jerk or whatever. This guy was something deadly, and it was sending the alarm bells screaming in my mind. There just wasn't something right with him.

I turned back to Yoshimaru, "If you end up against that guy, just forfeit."

"I was already thinking the same thing," he nodded his agreement. "I don't like the look of this guy."

"Neither do I," Satoshi added.

"There's something just wrong," I told them. "Something happened to that kid, something really bad."

"Something bad happened to you, too, Miyu," I could feel Misaki's eyes on me as she spoke. "You don't have that intimidation posture like he does."

"He must have had it worse than me then," I shook my head at her. "I can tell even from here that there is nothing but a cold, deadness in his eyes. No sense of affection, no sense of happiness or competition, no_ life_ in them."

"_He smells kind of funky, too,_" Chi added, jumping to my shoulder. "_Like blood. Lots of different kinds of blood on his hands._"

I nodded to her.

"Miyu, the board's going off again," Satoshi warned.

I looked up as it beeped.

**SHIKAMARU NARA**

**VS**

**TSUCHI KIN**

I couldn't tell if I was smirking or frowning at this point.

The smartest yet laziest boy in the whole village against one of the Sound Village foreigners.

"This should be interesting," I thought aloud as Lee and Naruto groaned at the fact that they hadn't been picked yet.

"What a drag..." Shikamaru sighed as he walked by.

"Hey, Shikamaru," I called to him. He turned to me with a questioning gaze that didn't reach his expression. I smiled to him, "Good luck, and you better not let that Sound foreigner girl win. I'll have to start making you train with _me_ if you it happens."

"You're a cruel girl, Miyu," he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets as he returned towards his destination towards the stairs. He was probably complaining about how troublesome the fight was going to be, how much of a waste of his time it was. Typical Shikamaru mutterings.

"Just think of it as motivation!" I grinned at his irritation.


End file.
